PHOTOSJessica Simpson Says She 'Didn’t Recognize' Herself During Alcohol & Pill Addiction Battle
Jessica Simpson is opening up about her alcohol and pill addictions in a new Today show interview, airing on Wednesday, January 29. The actress spoke to host Hoda Kotb about her previously undisclosed struggles just days after she revealed her addiction battle.
In one preview clip for the special, Jessica, 39, detailed her alcoholism and how once she started drinking, she just couldn't stop. "I had started a spiral and I couldn’t catch up with myself," Jessica explained to Hoda, 55. "I completely didn’t recognize myself"
The mother of three continued, "I would say it openly to everyone. ‘I know. I know, I’ll stop soon. I’ll cut back.’ For me to cut back, like I’m an all or nothing girl, and so I didn’t know it was a problem until it was.”
In another clip, the "A Public Affair" singer added that she lost sight of herself once she started drinking. "I completely didn’t recognize myself…I always had a glitter cup. It was always filled to the rim with alcohol. I just realized that I had to surrender. It was time. I had to give it up and I was ready. I’m not going to miss another day," Jessica said.
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On January 22, an excerpt from her memoir, Open Book, was released and it revealed her issues with drugs and alcohol. Part of the book was released by People and in the piece, Jessica shared that she was sexually abused when she was a young girl.
The trauma led to severe emotional pain and ultimately, it forced the Dukes of Hazzard star to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. She wrote that she was "killing" herself with the liquor and narcotics.
She finally sobered up in November 2017 after she “pretty much hit rock-bottom.” Jessica wrote how she hasn't had a drink since then.
Jessica recalled in her book the exact moment she knew she had to get sober. It was Halloween 2017 when she and her husband Eric Johnson took their daughter, Maxwell, 7, to school. It was 7:30 in the morning and Jessica already had a drink. When the former NFL star, 40, asked his wife to get their kids' costumes ready, Jessica said she wasn't in any state to help. “I am ashamed to say that I don’t know who got them into their costumes that night," she wrote. "I need to stop. Something’s got to stop. And if it’s alcohol that’s doing this and making things worse, then I quit.”
Jessica's Today show interview will air on January 29 on NBC.
