The marriage rift between Jessica Simpson and her estranged husband Eric Johnson appears to be widening, with sources revealing the former couple are moving closer to a formal divorce after more than a year of separation.
Family Division Over Daughter's Career Ambitions
The latest point of contention centres on their 13-year-old daughter Maxwell and whether she should be permitted to pursue a career in the spotlight, following in her famous mother's footsteps. Simpson, 45, and the 46-year-old former NFL player initially separated last autumn after ten years of marriage, amid rumours of infidelity on Johnson's part.
While they originally agreed to take space and work through their issues with counselling rather than rushing into divorce, friends now suggest the trial separation has failed to heal their relationship. "At first Jessica was eager to seek help and hopefully put their family back together," a source told Daily Mail. "But now that she's been on her own for over a year, she's beginning to like the feeling of freedom she now has."
Maxwell's Show Business Aspirations
Maxwell has developed ambitions to pursue acting after gaining her first taste of the industry appearing alongside her mother in a Chicken of the Sea commercial. According to insiders, Johnson strongly opposes this career path for their children.
"Maxwell is her mom's mini-me and she's the most like Jessica of all the kids," reveals a source. "She idolizes her mother and is chomping at the bit to follow in her famous footsteps." The couple share three children: 13-year-old Maxwell, 12-year-old son Ace and 6-year-old daughter Birdie Mae.
"Maxi, as her mom calls her, is super talented," the insider adds. "She likes to sing, is very creative, and has been looking over her mom's shoulder while she works on her clothing and jewelry designs. Now that she's officially a teenager, Jess is willing to let her feet get wet when it comes to show biz."
Parental Conflict Over Hollywood Versus Normal Life
Eric Johnson reportedly prefers his children to focus on education and sports rather than entertainment industry careers. "Eric on the other hand feels a Hollywood career is not what he wants for his kids," says the source. "He'd like them to concentrate on their studies and sports."
Maxwell appears determined to pursue both paths, being described as a "good basketball player" who also "loves to act." Her basketball connections have already opened doors in the entertainment world, as she plays on the same team as North West, the 12-year-old daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
"Maxi and North play on the same basketball team coached by Max's dad," says a friend of the girls. "And they are close pals. Recently North also went to bat for Max's mom." Radar Online reported that North petitioned her mother to secure Jessica a role on her new show, All's Fair, which led to Simpson being cast.
In return, Simpson helped launch her daughter's career by pitching Chicken of the Sea on a commercial featuring both of them - a playful nod to Jessica's iconic reality TV moment when she famously questioned whether the tuna brand was chicken or fish during her Newlyweds series with ex-husband Nick Lachey.
Instead of reconciling their differences, Simpson and Johnson continue to drift further apart, with their disagreement over Maxwell's potential acting career representing just one of many unresolved issues. Despite brief rumours of reconciliation in August when they were spotted flying together to Las Vegas without their children, the couple have since put their $18 million Hidden Hills mansion on the market and reportedly moved to separate residences in Nashville.
