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The rumors have been swirling for years.
By Amy Lamare — Written on Sep 22, 2020
Jessica Simpson is no stranger to being in the news; after all, the singer and fashion designer has been making headlines since she was thrust into the spotlight when she was just a teenager. In February, Simpson released her new memoir, Open Book, which revealed some serious truth bombs about Simpson's life. One person whose name appears often in the memoir is her father, Joe Simpson. Joe is not only her father, but was also the manager for both Jessica and her sister, Ashlee, for many years. And for years now, rumors have continued to swirl about Joe Simpson's sexual orientation, which has fans across the globe all wondering the same thing:
Is Joe Simpson gay?
Many think the former talent manager is gay, even though Simpson himself has reportedly shot down rumors about his sexuality.
Who is Joe Simpson's ex-wife?
Joe Simpson and Tina Simpson tied the knot in 1978 when Joe was 20 and Tina was just 18 years old. They were married for 34 years and have two children together: Jessica Simpson and Ashlee Simpson. Perhaps you've heard of them?
Joe Simpson's sexuality allegedly played a role in his and Tina's divorce.
In 2012, Joe filed for divorce from Tina after being married for over 30 years.
In Open Book, Jessica said that her dad "betrayed" his marriage to Tina.
"In August [2012], my mother discovered that my father had betrayed their marriage, just as she and I thought things were turning around for them,” she wrote. “She had just told me what a nice time they had together on their anniversary, and she thought maybe they had turned a corner. I thought so, too. When she confronted him, my dad began calling me, and I would not pick up.”
Joe then denied that there was another person that came between him and Tina, saying, "I’m not with anybody else. I love your mother.”
A rep for the Simpson family clarified that there wasn't a third party involved in their split, though, saying, "It is an amicable split and there is no third party involved. Any other related allegations are completely false. The family appreciates your respect for their privacy at this time.”
When asked about her father's sexuality years later, Jessica simply responded, "That’s not something we talk about. That’s not my story to tell.”
Simpson was rumored to be having an affair with a young male model.
At the time of his divorce, it was rumored that Simpson was having an affair with a 21-year-old aspiring male model named Bryce Chandler Hill. The two had allegedly been having an affair for more than a year, and were reportedly introduced by a mutual friend who is close to Jessica and Ashlee.
Who is Bryce Chandler Hill?
Model Bryce Chandler Hill reportedly had been bragging about having an affair with Simpson to friends in West Hollywood, California.
“Bryce is desperate to become famous, he’s done lots of modeling shoots and wants to become an actor. When he met Joe, he knew what a good job he had done in managing Jessica and Ashlee’s careers and wanted a piece of the pie himself," a source close to Bryce said at the time.
“But the sad thing is, he mocks and laughs at Joe behind his back," the source continued. "He doesn’t care for him in the same way Joe does about him."
Joe Simpson continued to shoot down rumors about his sexuality after his divorce.
According to Joe's reps, his divorce from Tina was amicable. Joe also shot down the rumors himself on Twitter, saying that they were ridiculous and untrue.
Does Joe Simpson have cancer?
In September 2016, Simpson revealed that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Luckily, he beat the disease and is on the mend, but the entire episode was tough on the whole family.
In 2018, Ashlee's husband Evan Ross commented, "It was a really scary experience for Ashlee, for their whole family. So for me, I was just trying to make sure I was there and paying attention to how everyone was feeling."
Who is Jonathan Keith, Joe Simpson's rumored ex-boyfriend?
In 2016, Simpson was frequently spotted out and about with 20-something model, Jonathan Keith. The tabloids were quick to declare that Simpson and Keith were dating, but, once again, he shot down the rumors, saying that Jonathan was merely a client of his.
However, in Jessica Simpson's memoir, she mentions that her father asked to bring Jonathan to her 2014 wedding to football star Eric Johnson.
"My father called me three days before we left for the wedding to tell me he was bringing his friend Jonathan, a young model he often shot for his new photography business," she wrote. "'He wasn't on the list,' I said. There was a pause."
"I reminded myself that I needed to accept my father for who he was as he worked it out in real-time," she added, alluding to her father's sexuality and who he keeps company with. "I wasn’t sure how to handle my father now, so I worked with the information he was ready to give me. Maybe I wasn’t ready to listen, I don’t know."
Jessica Simpson opened up about Joe Simpson's rocky relationship with her ex, Nick Lachey.
In her new memoir, Simpson detailed how the relationship with her ex-husband, Nick Lachey, often came between her and her father.
"Nick was the one thing my dad and I fought over," she revealed. "He never said no to the label, as much as he groused about how they were marketing me. But my relationship with Nick, that he could control."
"He was convinced that Nick didn't understand commitment, which I didn't think was fair," she continued. "'Marriage is about hanging in there,' he said. I know he accused Nick of making me dependent on him for everything, which is the pot calling up the kettle to have a long talk about being black."
Simpson went on to detail her father's behavior during her engagement to Lachey, adding, "There's just no nice way to put it. He continually told me I was making a mistake and told Nick to his face that I was too young to get married."
"At the rehearsal dinner the night before, my father acted as if the next day was his execution," Jessica said. "He moped and kept shaking his head, right in front of Nick's family. 'Are you sure you want to do this?' he asked. I didn't answer, and he continued. 'I'm right here. We can —' 'Dad, please.' 'You don't have to.'"
Did Jessica Simpson's divorce from Nick Lachey inspire Joe Simpson to divorce Tina?
After she divorced Lachey, Simpson told his daughter, "I wish I had the courage that you have to do that with your mom."
It appears that the feeling of dislike may have been mutual when Lachey revealed that the best part of not having Simpson as a father-in-law anymore was, “I don’t have to play grab-ass under the table on Easter Sunday!"
Nick's strange comment about Joe Simpson raised eyebrows — especially Jessica's, who recently opened up about the comment.
"That was low and that's, like, not for him to talk about by any means because he's not connected with us at all anymore," she said. "He was just bitter, you know? He was just trying to take a dig."
Simpson said she's 'most scared' to share her book with her dad.
The singer opened up about her father reading her book, saying, "I was most scared to show my father [this book]. Just as I was scared to play him music on that Halloween that changed my life. He wrote me yesterday. 'I wish I could have held you more in so many of those dark hours,' he said. 'Please forgive me for being a better manager than a father.'"
"I told him he was the best father I could ever have had," she added. "'I wouldn't change any moment.' It's true. I wouldn't change a single thing about my story, because I finally love who I am, and I can forgive who I was."
Jessica Simpson fired Joe Simpson from being her manager in 2012.
Simpson revealed how her father's influence was starting to negatively affect her career, and how she ultimately came to the decision to fire him as her manager in 2012.
She wrote, "He thought I was following my mother's wishes, but he had made some bad deals for me. Just stupid stuff that people promised to him and he believed. Bridges were burned, and I didn't know how many until I tried to cross them. It took about five times to really fire him before the message stuck."
Jessica recently sent her father a sweet message for Father's Day.
Although Simpson's relationship with her father has been rocky over the years, she still seems to be grateful to have him in her life. This Father's Day, she took to Instagram to voice her appreciation for Joe.
In the post's caption, she wrote, “Happy Father’s Day Dad @joesimpsonphoto! You are the ultimate gift a daughter could ever have. When you believe, I believe. When you speak, I listen and learn. When you dream, I catch the stars with you. When you teach, I gain wisdom. When you cry, I weep. When you love, I love with you. Thanking you for sacrificing everything for my purpose.”
She went on to write, “Your brilliant mind and faithful heart give you all the power you will ever need in this life. Courageous and steadfast... mind, body, and soul. I celebrate and love you today and everyday always.”
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in September 2018 and was updated with the latest information.