Jessica Simpson said she is beginning to dip back into the dating world and named several A-list actors among her current crushes, after announcing a split from her husband, former NFL player Eric Johnson, earlier this year.
The 45-year-old singer and actress, who attended the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, told interviewers she finds Charlie Hunnam, James Franco and Jamie Dornan particularly attractive when asked who should be considered for People’s Sexiest Man Alive. "There's a lot of people who are sexy! I'm single, so everybody is sexy right now… there's a lot of hotties," she said, adding, "There's a lot of cute guys out there."
Simpson has spoken publicly in recent months about being ready to date again. In a July appearance on the Today show, host Jenna Bush Hager asked if she would accept being set up. Simpson replied, "I'd totally jump on that," and described her ideal partner as someone "one of a kind" who is "individually, who they are" and who "exude[s] confidence without the ego." She added that she values her independence and would like a partner who complements it.
All three actors Simpson mentioned are currently in established relationships. Hunnam has been with artist Morgana McNelis since 2005. Franco has been linked with Izabel Pakzad for several years. Dornan has been married to actress and composer Amelia Warner since 2013; the couple have three children.
Simpson and Johnson, who wed in 2014 after four years of dating, announced they were living separately and navigating what Simpson called a "painful situation" in their marriage in a statement released Jan. 14, 2025. The statement said the couple's children were the priority as they worked through the split. The pair share three children: daughter Maxwell, 13, son Ace, 12, and daughter Birdie, 6.
The singer and businesswoman has publicly reflected on her relationships in recent years. In a 2023 interview with People, Simpson praised Johnson and described him as someone who understood her "heart more than anyone I've ever met in my life." That interview contrasted with the couple's later announcement that they had separated.
Simpson first rose to prominence as a pop star and later expanded into fashion and television. Her personal life has been a frequent topic of media coverage; she was married to singer Nick Lachey from 2002 to 2006 and had a high-profile relationship with John Mayer in the late 2000s. The singer's comments about her dating preferences and public naming of celebrity crushes come amid a broader conversation about her post-marriage plans and public reinvention.
Simpson said she was seeking a partner who matched her independence and emotional availability rather than a specific look. She has asked for privacy for her family as she and Johnson navigate their separation and focus on co-parenting the children they share.