Jessica Simpson disclosed that she confronted the woman who sexually abused her as a child eight years ago. Earlier this year, the singer released her autobiography which revealed that she’d been sexually abused between the ages of six and twelve by a childhood family friend.
In a new appearance on Katherine Schwarzenegger‘s podcast, The Gift of Forgiveness, Simpson revealed that she actually confronted her abuser in an effort to “heal.”
Simpson made waves after the release of her autobiography, Open Book earlier this year. She exposed sensitive truths about herself including the abuse she suffered.
“It happened when I shared a bed with the daughter of a family friend,” she wrote. “It would start with tickling my back and then go into things that were extremely uncomfortable.”
Simpson told her parents about the abuse six years after it occurred, but neither ever discussed it again.
In Open Book, Simpson recalled informing her parents about the abuse during a car ride on a family vacation. Her mother responded by patting her father’s arm and saying “I told you something was happening” while he “kept his eyes on the road and said nothing”.
Simpson added that while they never stayed at the family friend’s home again, she and her parents also never spoke about what she’d told them.
Simpson believes trauma from the experience resulted in her addiction to “pills and alcohol” as an adult.
“I was killing myself with all the drinking and pills,” she wrote after recounting the experience of hitting “rock bottom” at a Halloween party in 2017. The very next day she decided to quit alcohol and since then has been sober. She also explained that she attends therapy twice a week.
“When I finally said I needed help, it was like I was that little girl that found her calling in life again. I found direction and that was to walk straight ahead with no fear.”
The singer spoke candidly about her attempt to “heal” by confronting her abuser eight years ago.
“I went to her and I just said, ‘I know you know what was going on and I know that you were being abused,’ because she was being abused by an older guy,” Simpson explained to Katherine Schwarzenegger.
“He was always there at the house as well,” she added. “In so many ways, I felt bad for her, and I was allowing the abuse to happen.”
Simpson advised her abuser to seek counseling.
“I told her in the moment, ‘I know that you have a lot to deal with,’ and I told her that I think she should probably talk to someone and find a way to understand those moments, to forgive those moments, and to heal from those moments,” Simpson said on the podcast.
“I told her, ‘I just want you to know that I forgive you and I don’t really care to be around you that much or ever again, but I do want you to know that, like, I know what happened between us. And I’m not going to live in denial about it.'”
She decided to have the difficult conversation after a period of self-reflection following her divorce from Nick Lachey.
“I was celibate at the time and I was on this journey to explore myself and I knew that I couldn’t move forward without letting her know that I wasn’t going to just leave it unsaid,” Simpson told Schwarzenegger. “I left it unsaid for far too long.”
“I knew that if I was honest with her, it would clear my conscience,” she continued. “I even sent her the book and I told her that I hope that it brings healing.”
Simpson continues to impress us with her courage and candidness about the difficulties she’s faced. It was big of her to confront her abuser and wise for her to advise counseling to help repair any trauma. Healing is a journey and we appreciate Simpson taking us along with her.
Contents
- 1 “It happened when I shared a bed with the daughter of a family friend,” Simpson wrote.
- 2 Simpson told her parents about the abuse six years after it occurred, but neither ever discussed it again.
- 3 Simpson believes trauma from the experience resulted in her addiction to “pills and alcohol” as an adult.
- 4 The singer spoke candidly about her attempt to “heal” by confronting her abuser eight years ago.
- 5 Simpson advised her abuser to seek counseling.
- 6 She decided to have the difficult conversation after a period of self-reflection following her divorce from Nick Lachey.
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