Ashlee Simpson is an actor and singer-songwriter who first came into prominence thanks to her sister’s fame. She has since made a name for herself in the entertainment world has released a few albums. Moreover, she is also known for her performances in the TV shows such as 7th Heaven and Melrose Place.
Well, her successful journey in the entertainment world has led people to show much interest in Ashlee’s life. So, today we will take a look at her career, family, childhood, marriage, motherhood, and more.
Where Did Ashlee Simpson Grow Up?
The multi-talented star was born Ashley Nicolle Simpson in Waco, Texas, US on 3rd October 1984. She grew up in the city alongside her elder sister Jessica Simpson, who also went on to find success as an actress and singer. While both she and her sister found fame in the entertainment world, Ashlee Simpson’s parents, Tina Drew aka Tina Simpson, and Joseph Simpson are not involved in it. Rather, Joe Simpson is a Baptist youth minister having worked as a psychologist before.
Ashlee was interested in the world of art from an early age and started studying classical ballet at the age of three. She then enrolled at the renowned ballet school, School of American Ballet when she was eleven. Simpson became the youngest person ever to be admitted since the school’s age of requirement was 12. However, in later years, her dad admitted to lying about her age. Moreover, during this time, the young dancer suffered from an eating disorder, and eventually received treatments.
As for traditional education, Ashlee Simpson, like her sister, Jessica, was enrolled at Prairie Creek Elementary and later North Junior High in Richardson, Texas. The family then moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1999 following Jessica’s debut as a singer. After the move, it is unclear if Ashlee attended any school in LA.
When Did Ashlee Simpson Start Her Professional Journey?
As aforementioned, the Simpson family moved to Los Angeles following Jessica Simpson’s debut in the music world. Following the move, Ashlee herself started her journey into the entertainment world appearing in several television commercials. Simpson then became one of her sister’s backup dancers on tour after the success of Jessica’s debut record, Sweet Kisses.
Simpson continued on as a dancer but also had dreams of pursuing a career in acting. Therefore, she made her acting debut in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle playing a high school girl. The following year she appeared in the comedy film, The Hot Chick playing the small part of Monique. Ashlee then booked the part of Cecilia Smith in the seventh season of the family drama, 7th Heaven. She went on to star in 40 episodes from 2002 to 2004.
While she continued on with her acting career, Ashlee also put out a few songs such as Just Let Me Cry and Christmas Past, Present, and Future. There were reports about her writing and recording demos to earn a recording deal. Then it was revealed that the talented star had signed with Geffen Records and would release her debut album soon.
But even before her music career, Ashlee Simpson found fame through her sister’s reality series. The show revolved around Jessica and her then-husband Nick Lachey’s life as a newly married pair. Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica was a huge success and resulted in the birth of Ashlee’s own series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. The first season was taped from late 2003 to mid-2004 and documented the start of her journey as a musical artist.
Ashlee Simpson released her debut album, Autobiography in July 2004 and it debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart in the US. It became the highest-selling debut album by a female artist that year and went on to sell over 2.5 million copies by January 2005. While the music itself was great and received great reviews, its success was also attributed to the exposure from the reality show. Moreover, the second season of The Ashlee Simpson Show followed her life after the success of her debut album.
Following this, Ashlee’s star power was on the rise and she put out two more studio albums, I Am Me in 2005 and Bittersweet World in 2008. While these records could not generate the same result as the first one, Simpson continued to wow her fans with her work. Furthermore, she also went on several tours to support her albums over the years.
The Texas native also gained much fame after she played Roxie Hart in the West End production of the musical Chicago. She was first cast for the part in 2006 and the musical ran from September 25 to 28th October 2006. Ashlee reprised her role for Chicago’s Broadway run in November 2009 and performed in New York for eight shows a week until February 2010. Then in 2013, she once again played Roxie in a special production of the musical in Hollywood Bowl in July 2013.
Along with her music and stage career, Ashlee Simpson also continued on with her acting journey. She starred in 13 episodes of the show Melrose Place while making brief appearances in CSI: NY and Undiscovered. She then played Theresa in the 2013 film Pawn Shop Chronicles and voiced the character Strelka in Space Dogs: Adventure to the Moon.
Following these projects, Simpson seemed to have taken a break from her career. And while there were reports about her returning to the music world in 2016, her comeback did not come until the release of the EP Ashlee + Evan in 2018. The release of the EP coincided with the run of the reality show Ashlee+Evan.
Well, despite her taking such a long break from her career, Ashlee Simpson’s net worth is still estimated to be around $11 million. And with her working on a few new projects, there is no doubt that she will amass even more fortune in the coming days.
Who Is Ashlee Simpson Married To?
Talking about her love life, Ashlee Simpson is currently enjoying her life with her husband Evan Ross, and their kids. The pair first sparked dating rumors in July 2013 and got engaged in January 2014. They tied the knot only a few months later in August 2014 at Evan’s mother, Diana Ross’s estate in Connecticut. Following the marriage, Ashlee changed her name to Ashlee Simpson Ross.
Moreover, on July 30, 2015, Ashlee Simpson welcomed her daughter, Jagger Snow. That same month Ashlee and her husband, Evan both filed requests to change their surname to Ross-Næss. The pair continued to enjoy their lives together and even shared their happiness with their fans. Moreover, in April 2020, it was announced that Simpson and Ross were expecting their second child together. Their son, Ziggy Blu was born in October 2020.
But before finding a happy ending with Ashlee Simpson’s husband, she had been in several high-profile relationships and even married once. Her first relationship after finding fame was with fellow musician Ryan Cabrera. The pair were together when Ashlee was writing and producing her first album and their relationship ended somewhere around 2004.
Following the end of her romance with Ryan, rumors about Wilmer Valderrama being Ashlee Simpson’s boyfriend were going around. However, the duo’s representative denied the rumors and stated that they had been friends for a while. Following this, she dated drummer Braxton Olita for a while before finding love with Pete Wentz in 2005. The duo announced their engagement in April 2008 and tied the knot a month later. This was Ashlee’s first marriage and she changed her name to Ashlee Simpson-Wentz for a while.
Simpson and Wentz welcomed their first and only child together, the Bronx in November 2008. However, their relationship took a turn a few years later and the pair ended their marriage in November 2011. Following the divorce, Ashlee was in a relationship with Vincent Piazza, an actor, but this romance too ended soon.
Well, the multi-talented star is now happily married and enjoying her time as a mother of three. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.