Getting candid. Jessica Simpson has learned to love and embrace her body at any size through the years — but she’s still proud of how far she has come.
“I don’t really look at it as, like, a weight loss journey. I think it’s a journey of empowerment and self-love and acceptance,” Simpson, 41, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, April 14, while discussing her partnership with Flonase allergy relief medication. “It’s one of those things [where] it’s, like, we all want what we can’t have. We all want the body type that we aren’t [and] that we can’t change. So it’s about accepting and loving ourselves for who we are.”
The “Take My Breath Away” songstress added: “For me, I have done that at every size [and] I just feel every woman should be celebrated.”
Simpson — who has frequently opened up about her wellness journey through the years — showed off her progress earlier this month when she shared a bikini selfie while on vacation with her family. (The Texas native shares children Maxwell, 9, Ace, 8, and Birdie, 3, with husband Eric Johnson.)
“I had no idea I was gonna put on a bikini. So, that was just, like, in the moment. I brought a couple of bikinis, but I had one-pieces [too]. That was my trip,” Simpson recalled on Thursday of the now-viral social media snaps. “I put on the bikini [and] I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I can wear a bikini. This happened.’”
The fashion designer noted in her April 7 Instagram post that she had gained and lost nearly 100 pounds three times and “never thought” she’d feel confident wearing a two-piece again.
“I think it’s about setting small goals for yourself, and then eventually, the impossible is possible,” Simpson told Us. “I was so proud of myself and I was proud of the resilience no matter what people say. … I think that the positive comments about [my weight loss journey] are what I hold onto and it’s the reason why I posted [the Instagram photo] — for that one person to go in and feel better about themselves and to work really hard. ‘Cause when you work really hard to look and feel the way that you do in a very happy moment, especially with your children, it is very empowering and it made me so emotional.”
The Employee of the Month actress added: “I was really proud. So I was like, ‘Here I go, I’m doing it.’ … My babies are worth the weight gain. I’m just the type of person that gains a lot of weight [while] pregnant, but I’ve struggled [with it] my whole life, like, because of what, to me, was perfect or what I didn’t have. I really feel [that once] people started [to] embrace me at a bigger size, it made me very confident. It made me feel like everybody deserves to be praised at every size.”
Though she’s proud of her current look, Simpson is no stranger to clapping back at online haters who’ve criticized her body.
“I’ve been bullied through my life for being every size that there is — I’ve been a size 2 to a size 14,” the Jessica Simpson Collection designer previously told Australia’s The Morning Show in February 2020. “Body image was a hard thing, especially being so young and trying to fit into pop culture. Everything was about dancing around and showing your stomach.”
The Open Book author has since learned to tune out the negativity as she strives to be a “positive role model.” While Simpson hopes her actions inspire her kids, she is also helping educate allergy sufferers on the impact of climate change.
“I mean, my kids suffer from allergies big-time. So, partnering with Flonase was so easy,” Simpson explained to Us. “It was so natural for me because we already used the product living out in Los Angeles with the wildfires, climate change [and] all that stuff. The pollen is insane. A lot of people think that they’re sick, but it’s actually allergies. So, I wanted to be able to bring awareness to that and [wanted people] to know that it’s OK for your kids [to use Flonase’s nasal spray]. And I think that what’s awesome about Flonase is that they made it for children, and that way they can play outside and be happy.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
