The singer and entrepreneur shared a photo of herself on Instagram on Monday to mark four years of sobriety.
“This person in the early morning hours of November 1, 2017 is an unrecognizable version of myself. I had so many discoveries to discover and explore. I knew that right now I would allow myself to take back my light, show victory over my internal battle for self-respect and brave this world with piercing clarity, ”she wrote. “Personally, to do this I had to stop drinking alcohol because my mind and heart were spinning in the same direction and honestly, I was exhausted.”
Simpson, who signed a lucrative media deal with Amazon Studios last year, added that she had come to a place where she was “very honest and comfortably open.”
“There is so much stigma around the word alcoholism or the alcoholic label,” she said. “The real work that needed to be done in my life was to come to terms with failure, pain, breaking and self-sabotage. Alcohol consumption was not the problem. I was. I didn’t love myself. I did not respect my own power. Today I do.
A moment to reflect. Jessica Simpson commemorated the fourth anniversary of her sobriety with a heartfelt post on social media about what made her life change.
“This person in the early morning of November 1, 2017 is an unrecognizable version of myself,” the “Irresistible” singer, 41, wrote via Instagram on Monday November 1, alongside a photo of the day she decided to stop drinking. “I had so many discoveries to unlock and explore.”
The Texas native first spoke to fans about her battle with alcoholism in her 2020 memoir, Open Book . Talking about the book with Hoda Kotb , she recalled carrying a “glitter mug” that was “filled to the brim with alcohol”. After Halloween 2017, she realized she needed to make a change.
“I just realized I had to surrender,” she said in January 2020. “It’s about time. I had to give up and I was ready. I won’t miss another day. I won’t miss another Halloween. I won’t miss another Christmas. I will be present.
In her post on Monday, the Ambition blonde actress explained that she had stopped drinking so she could “get back” her light. “Personally, to do this I had to stop drinking alcohol because my mind and heart were spinning in the same direction and quite honestly I was exhausted,” she wrote. “I wanted to feel the pain so I could wear it as a badge of honor.”
The singer added that she was surprised four years had already passed, telling her followers it sounded more than half of that. “There’s so much stigma around the word alcoholism or the alcoholic label,” Simpson continued. “The real work that needed to be done in my life was to come to terms with failure, pain, break-up and self-sabotage. Alcohol consumption was not the problem. I was. I didn’t love myself. I did not respect my own power.
Earlier this year, the “Come on Over” singer celebrated her 11th birthday with her husband Eric Johnson . The duo share daughters Maxwell, 9, and Birdie, 2, and son Ace, 8.
“I knew the night we met, your fate, I locked the key to my questing heart and just held my soul with love and honor,” Simpson wrote via Instagram in May. “So, now and for the rest of my life, I am fully and always yours and you are mine.”
Shortly after the release of Open Book , the Dukes of Hazzard star told Us Weekly that his relationship with the former NFL player, 42, had never been stronger.
“When it comes to my marriage to Eric, I have never felt more myself or more free,” she said in February 2020. “Eric and I have a real mind, a real body [and] soul connection.
The fashion designer added that she hopes her book will inspire others who may be struggling with similar issues. “Sometimes the difficult choice makes you feel lonely, but it’s actually that same choice that will guide you into the future you deserve,” she explained. “I hope my story – and my music – will inspire people to break out of these patterns and expectations that others have placed on them.”