Ashlee Simpson

Background

Ashley Nicole Simpson is a gifted and versatile singer, actress, dancer, and entrepreneur whose qualities have set her apart in the industry. She was born in Waco, Texas. Simpson attended Prairie Creek Elementary and North Junior High with her sister Jessica, in Richardson. She is a Libra by design and began learning classical ballet at three. At 11, Simpson enrolled at the School of American Ballet, New York, making her the youngest ever to be admitted to the school, given the age requirement there is normally 12. In 1999, Simpson and her family relocated to Los Angeles, California, as her sister Jessica pursued her singing career. At this time, Simpson appeared in television commercials with her father as her agent. Then, when Jessica’s debut album “Sweet Kisses” (1999) became a commercial success, Simpson became one of her backup dancers on tour.

Soon after, Simpson began her career in acting. She had minor guest roles in “Malcolm in the Middle” (2001) and “The Hot Chick” (2002) before appearing in the seventh and eighth seasons of “7th Heaven” as Cecilia Smith. By 2003, Simpson recorded “Just Let Me Cry,” which was used as the soundtrack for the film “Freaky Friday” (2003). The same year, she signed with Geffen Records, with whom she released her debut studio album, “Autobiography” in 2004, which sold 398,000 copies in its first week, totaling 2.5 million copies in the U.S., and five million copies worldwide. In October 2005, Simpson released her second studio album, “I Am Me.” The album didn’t match the success of her debut album, but still sold millions of copies. The following year, Simpson was cast as Roxie Hart in “Chicago.” In 2008, she released her third album, “Bittersweet World.” However, the album became Simpson’s lowest-selling album to date. By 2009, she began playing Violet Foster in “Melrose Place” and left the show after 12 episodes. She returned to the music scene in 2018 and released an EP with her husband, Ross, titled “Ashlee + Evan.”

Simpson’s relationships have always been in the media. She was engaged to Pete Wentz in April 2008, and by May, they were married. Simpson had a son, Bronx, with Wentz in 2008, before divorcing him in 2011. After her divorce, Simpson was linked to Vincent Piazza before meeting and marrying Evan Ross, Diana Ross’s son, in August 2014. She and Ross have a daughter, Jagger, born in July 2015, and a son, Ziggy Blu, born in October 2020.