Jessica Simpson and Husband Eric Johnson Split After 10 Years of Marriage: 'Painful Situation'

Jessica Simpson and husband Eric Johnson are separating.

The singer and actress, 44, and her NFL player ex-husband, 45, are divorcing after 10 years of marriage, Simpson tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“Eric and I have been living apart while going through a painful situation in our marriage,” Simpson 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.”

The news comes less than a week after Simpson — who shares three children with Johnson — posted a sunny selfie on Instagram, reminding her followers that “Life is short. SMILE while you still have teeth😜.”

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson. John Shearer/Getty

Johnson was spotted without her wedding ring in November, around the same time Simpson teased her “return” to music with a cryptic Instagram post featuring photos of herself in a recording studio.

“Interviews in my music room in Nashville where I discovered my unique magic,” she captioned the pics. “This return is personal. It’s an apology to myself because I suffered everything I didn’t deserve.”

A source told PEOPLE days later that the “With You” singer and her husband “mainly live separate lives.”

Simpson and Johnson married in July 2014 after four years of dating and have three children together: daughters Maxwell “Maxi” Drew, 12, and Birdie Mae, 5, and son Ace Knute, 11.

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson. Kevin Mazur/WireImage Timeline of Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson’s relationship

The couple first met through a mutual friend in 2010, and got engaged that November after six months of dating.

The An open book the author and the retired tight end welcomed their first two children, Maxwell and Ace, in May 2012 and June 2013, respectively.

Their son and daughter appeared as ring bearers and flower girls when the couple tied the knot in front of more than 250 guests in Montecito, California.

“True love will never make you question yourself or what’s real,” she told PEOPLE in 2023. “Thanks to my amazing soulmate, I can love passionately and without fear of being hurt.”

Jessica Simpson, Eric Johnson and their family. Charley Gallay/Getty for the Jessica Simpson Collection

That same year, Simpson revealed to PEOPLE that Johnson “accepts” her career.

“I don’t find it hard to love anyone, but I always thought I was hard to love, that I was too much for people, or that my schedule was too busy,” she said. “He knows my heart and understands my heart more than anyone I’ve ever met in my life.”

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson. Jessica Simpson/Instagram

Simpson also said that their relationship was always “easy” and that they always tried to “keep it romantic, even with three kids.”

For Johnson’s birthday in September 2023, she shared photos from their family birthday celebration on Instagram and paid tribute to him with a sweet caption.

“My heart is so captivated by this Man, I could hardly call him mine… We love you,” she wrote.

The couple also spent time child-free in early 2023 by going on a couples’ trip in March. The star then posted photos from their vacation on Instagram and wrote that “she was stealing [her] lover” for the weekend.

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In 2022, Simpson spoke to PEOPLE about how communication has been central to her marriage. I feel that every moment we are growing as long as we communicate, and our love only deepens, she said.

“I feel like Eric and I learn so much from each other,” she added. “I feel like we’re stronger now than ever, [more] than we were at the beginning.”

She also explained how their life together was not without its challenges in an interview with PEOPLE in 2021.

“I think the conclusion is that it is not easy and that every day presents challenges and blessings,” she said then. “Life is a blessing to be lived, and the more we think about things, the more we fall behind on our personal journey.”

Simpson was previously married to Nick Lachey from 2002 to 2005.

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Source: HIS Education