Ashlee Simpson Says 'Bullying' Was Insane After 'SNL' Lip-Syncing Incident: 'People Forgot I Was Human'

Ashlee Simpson reflected on the rollercoaster journey she experienced after releasing her debut album, Autobiography, in 2004.

"For me writing, every day I would go in with my fresh breakup. My fresh boyfriend," Simpson, 40, shared during the August 21 episode of the "Pod Meets World" podcast. "It was literally, like, the diary of my life."

Simpson's formative years were filled with "firsts," including her initial taste of love and heartbreak. However, looking back, she recalled a painful moment when a boyfriend told her, "You look fat, you need to get on the treadmill!"

"I had a boyfriend that was like…" she said with a laugh before noting her immediate reaction was, "Get ready for what I'm about to say" in her lyrics. Through it all, she expressed, the album captures "so many feelings" she lived firsthand.

Despite the album achieving triple platinum status in the United States, much of her success often got overshadowed by an infamous Saturday Night Live moment in October 2004 when she was caught lip-syncing.

"I think during that time, I mean, the bullying was insane," Simpson said. "People forgot I was a human that 'did lose her voice.' That doesn't mean [I] didn't write these songs."

The fallout from that live performance forced Simpson into a position of constantly defending her talent. "My whole life I had to tell people [what happened]," she admitted, questioning, "What am I trying to tell people?"

However, over time, Simpson recognized that her fans understood she consistently sang live. "I had to know that in my heart," she added.

The SNL embarrassment made headlines when her hit song "Pieces of Me" unexpectedly began playing during a skit meant to feature Autobiography. In shock, Simpson responded with a spontaneous hoedown dance before the show cut to a commercial.

"My band started playing the wrong song, and I didn't know what to do so I thought I'd do a hoedown. I'm sorry," she remarked during the incident.

Later, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with "two nodules beating against each other" before her scheduled live performance, leading her to decide to lip sync rather than cancel.

"I've never talked about or said [anything], but it's like the other thing is, learning as a woman, when you say no…that day I said, 'I will not go on, I don't care. I can't speak,'" Simpson explained on the March 2024 episode of the "Broad Ideas With Rachel Bilson & Olivia Allen" podcast, reflecting on her growth since that traumatic experience.

Simpson acknowledged she's had her share of ups and downs, just like everyone else, while pointing out that the SNL faux pas lingers in her career memory.

Looking forward, she has moved beyond the drama tied to that performance and announced performances for two nights in Las Vegas over Labor Day weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her second album, I Am Me, which debuted in October 2005.

Although Simpson hasn't released new music since Bittersweet World in April 2008, she hinted that fresh tunes could be on the horizon after her Vegas residency. "I've been writing here and there," she confirmed, noting there's "definitely" a chance for new music to come.