After her marriage to Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson’s relationship with John Mayer left her broken more than ever before.
Jessica Simpson came off her marriage to Nick Lachey with the enthusiasm of dating other men. She and her ex-husband Nick had been together since 2000 when they met for the second time at a Teen People party in Florida.
Their relationship, which spanned five years, featured an elaborate traditional Christian and televised wedding, a famous reality series MTV’s “Newlyweds,” which drew millions of viewers. Also, their 2005 divorce, which Nick later revealed caught him off-guard, cost Jessica $12 million in alimony.
Not long after their divorce, Jessica started going out with other men. However, one man stood out among numerous love interests: superstar guitarist John Mayer. Jessica also felt drawn to John, and she jumped at the opportunity to date him.
The pair instantly became a couple, and Jessica deeply fell in love with him. However, their relationship would become a rocky
John Mayer and Jessica Simpson’s Romantic Beginning
Jessica and John met in early 2005 at a Grammy party hosted by Clive Davis. During the party, John told Jessica how much he loved a song she wrote titled “With You,” and the guitarist even started writing to her often after the event.
Initially, Jessica felt flattered that someone of John’s stature would write to her, and subsequently, their notes became more intimate. At the time they met, Jessica was still married to Nick, but in late 2005 they ended their marriage.
She and John continued exchanging messages, and the latter often declared how he wanted her all for himself. Soon after, they started dating in secret, and as the months progressed, Jessica fell more in love with him. At the time, John himself was coming off of relationships with musician Vanessa Carlton and actress Love Hewitt.
Although a famous and talented musician, Jessica was captivated by how John charmed people with his guitar. According to Jessica, John would often say he was sexually and emotionally obsessed with her.
John Mayer and Jessica Simpson’s Rocky Ending
Although Jessica and John had a steamy romantic relationship, things were also very rocky for the couple. In her memoir “Open Book,” Jessica revealed that while John made her feel physically powerful, she was very insecure around him.
Jessica constantly worried if she was good enough for John because she felt he was clever. Unfortunately, the guitarist treated every conversation like a friendly competition he had to win, and Jessica started having self-doubts.
Jessica felt so insecure she would sometimes ask her friend to check her texts for correct grammar and spelling mistakes. Unfortunately, her insecurities soon led her to rely on alcohol to mask her feelings.
According to Jessica, John broke up with her nine times in five years, and each time, she went back to him. In an interview with Hoda Kotb, she revealed that in 2006 while they were at the Kennedy Center Honours, John broke up with her just as she was about to go on stage and perform.
Their tumultuous relationship finally ended in 2010 after John made some disrespectful comments about her during an interview with Playboy Magazine. Speaking to Playboy about their relationship John said Jessica was ”like crack cocaine to me.” He added:
“Sexually it was crazy. That’s all I’ll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm. Did you ever say, I want to quit my life and just f***ing snort you?.”
These comments left Jessica floored and embarrassed when she heard about it. She felt heartbroken because John had broken her trust in him. According to her, how a woman is in bed is not something to discuss, and John’s comments shocked her.
After that day, she deleted his number from her phone. Jessica declared it was easy for her to walk away after hearing what John had said about her.
Where Are They Now?
The same year Jessica deleted John’s number, she met her current husband, Eric Johnson, through a mutual friend. The pair eventually tied the knot in 2014 and have since become parents to three kids: daughter Maxwell, Son Ace, and daughter Birdie.
She also released a memoir, “Open Book,” in 2020, where she opened up about her past relationships. In a video clip obtained by E! Online, Jessica explained she doesn’t feel John owes her a public apology for the comments he made about her.
The mother of three disclosed that her memoir would reveal things that caused her pain. It would also examine a time in her life when she felt manipulated but also in love. Jessica further declared:
“Now that I have the love of Eric [Johnson, her husband], it’s just such a different thing. So I wouldn’t expect an apology. I don’t think there’s a need for an apology. I feel like people end up finding their way to let you know they’re sorry. And [Mayer] might not be sorry, and that’s okay.”
Jessica has done very well for herself professionally as well. Currently, she is the head of a billion-dollar clothing line, “The Jessica Simpson Collection.”
Meanwhile, after his relationship with Jessica, John dated several women, including Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston, Renee Zellweger, and Katty Perry. He and Katty Perry dated each other on and off from 2012 till 2016.