All the Signs Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson Were Having Trouble — and Nearing a Split 

When Jessica Simpson and former NFL player Eric Johnson announced they were splitting up, it wasn’t a complete surprise.

In November 2024, after Johnson, 45, was spotted without his wedding ring, a source told PEOPLE that the couple “mainly live separate lives.” On Monday, January 13, the pop star officially announced that the couple is splitting up.

“Eric and I have been living apart while going through a painful situation in our marriage,” Jessica, 44, said in a statement to PEOPLE. “Our children come first and we are focused on what is best for them. We are grateful for all the love and support we have received and appreciate our privacy right now as we work through this as a family.”

After first meeting in 2010, Johnson, 70, and the “A Public Affair” musician married in 2014. They have since had three children: Maxwell Drew, Ace Knute and Birdie Mae.

Check out the signs that the couple is headed for divorce below.

Jessica Simpson and husband Eric Johnson separated after 10 years of marriage: ‘painful situation’

They don’t wear their wedding rings

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson in June 2023.

Ella Hovsepian/Getty Images

In November 2024, Johnson was photographed walking around Los Angeles without his wedding band amid rumors of a rift in his marriage to Jessica. However, even before that, speculation about the state of their relationship intensified after fans noticed that the “With You” singer had not been wearing her rings for months.

“She hasn’t posted a picture of her husband in a year,” one social media user wrote of Jessica on September 23. Another social media user added: “She reminds me of a newly single girl in her latest posts 🤷🏻‍♀️ ”

Another fan noticed she wasn’t wearing a bracelet: “Where’s the wedding ring ???Ugh f*ck. Another one bites the dust 😢”

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Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson Relationship Timeline

Simpson’s return to music and life in Nashville

Jessica Simpson in February 2024.

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

In November 2024, Jessica shared an Instagram post showing a series of shots in a recording studio in a white dress, black fur coat and black knee-high boots.

“Interviews in my music room in Nashville where I discovered my unique magic,” she captioned the post, adding that her upcoming musical “comeback is personal, it’s an apology to myself for putting up with everything I didn’t deserve 🎶 🎼 🤍🖤”

The following month, she shared another sultry picture of herself on her Instagram Story, wearing a black blazer and black cowboy boots.

“Can’t wait for you to hear the soundtrack of my soul,” she wrote at the top of the image, adding a single CD emoticon to the text.

Ashlee Simpson dismisses speculation about her sister’s marriage

Jessica and Ashlee Simpson in April 2015. Amanda Edwards/Getty

During the outing to the restaurant Mr. Chow in Los Angeles in November 2024, TMZ asked Ashlee Simpson, 40, to address rumors that her sister’s marriage is falling apart — and she responded with a simple, straightforward answer.

“Ashlee, fans are speculating that Jessica might want a divorce from her recent Instagram post,” the reporters said in a clip shared by the outlet. “Do you know anything about it? Is it true? Do you know?”

“No,” she bluntly told TMZ while walking with her husband Evan Ross, though it’s unclear what question she was actually answering.

Few social media posts together

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson in May 2017. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Jessica hasn’t posted a photo featuring Johnson since September 2023, when she dedicated a post to him for his 44th birthday.

“Eric turned 44 on September 15th and his family gave him all the love we have to celebrate his life. My heart is so taken over by this Man that I could hardly call him mine,” she wrote at the time. “We love you. (he’s not an Instagram guy, but I always think the more well wishes the better 😜).”

Since then, Jessica mostly posts solo shots, selfies and photos of her spending time with her children.

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Source: HIS Education