Jessica Simpson Opts to Retain Multi-Million Dollar Mansion Following Divorce
In a significant real estate decision, pop culture icon Jessica Simpson has reportedly chosen to keep the lavish $17.9 million Los Angeles mansion she once shared with her former husband, Eric Johnson. This sprawling estate, featuring seven bedrooms and thirteen bathrooms, is situated in the exclusive Hidden Hills enclave of Calabasas, an area famously associated with celebrities like Kris Jenner and Khloe Kardashian.
A Property with a Complex History
Simpson originally acquired this prestigious property in 2013, purchasing it from rock legends Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne for $11.5 million. This transaction occurred just one year prior to her marriage to Johnson. The mansion's journey on the market has been notably volatile. Simpson first listed the home for sale in September 2023 with an ambitious asking price of $22 million, only to withdraw it from the market in August of the following year.
The property faced further disruption when Simpson was evacuated due to the Los Angeles wildfires last year. Subsequently, she placed it back on the market on January 11, 2025—a mere two days before publicly announcing her divorce from Johnson. After a series of market maneuvers, including taking it off the market in November and relisting it in December, insiders have now informed TMZ that Simpson has definitively decided to remain in the residence.
Divorce and Co-Parenting Dynamics
Simpson announced her separation from Johnson last year through a carefully worded statement, acknowledging they were "navigating a painful situation in our marriage" and emphasizing that "our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them." The couple co-parents three children: Maxi, 13, Ace, 12, and Birdie, nine. Sources indicate that Johnson has since acquired his own residence nearby, facilitating their shared parenting responsibilities.
Speculation about marital difficulties had been circulating for months, particularly as the pair were not seen together publicly after June 2024. Notably, Simpson did not publicly acknowledge Johnson's 45th birthday in September, a stark contrast to the glowing Instagram tribute she posted for his 44th birthday. Instead, on his most recent birthday, she reposted a clip of Pastor Timothy Timberlake discussing the profound nature of forgiveness, which many interpreted as a subtle commentary on their relationship.
Simpson's Recent Moves and Past Relationships
In 2023, the same year she initially listed the Calabasas mansion, Simpson began spending part of her time in Nashville to focus on new musical projects. She has not released an album since Happy Christmas in 2010. Her family joined her in Nashville for the summer of 2023, but they returned to Los Angeles for school commitments, leading Simpson to split her time between the two cities.
Reflecting on this arrangement, Simpson told People magazine, "They helped me find a house [in Nashville], we all moved there, they picked their rooms, that type of stuff, but they're in school so I have two weeks [in Nashville], two weeks home. I'm back and forth a lot so now they know what it's like to miss me and I feel very loved."
Prior to her relationship with Johnson, Simpson was married to fellow singer Nick Lachey from 2002 to 2006. That divorce reportedly cost Simpson $12 million due to the absence of a prenuptial agreement. A decade later, when asked about her biggest financial mistakes on CNBC, Simpson pointedly remarked, "For some reason, I thought of my first marriage." Lachey has since married Vanessa Minnillo, with whom he was famously photographed in an intimate hot tub encounter in Mexico during their dating years.
