Ashlee Simpson

Early Years

Born October 3, 1984, to parents Joe and Tina Simpson, Ashlee Nicole Simpson seemed destined to be a performer. At just three years old, she began dancing. When she was only 11, she was the youngest person admitted to the School of American Ballet.

The family moved from Dallas to Los Angeles when Ashlee’s big sister, Jessica Simpson, got a record deal. Ashlee began acting in television commercials before traveling with her sister as a backup dancer when she was 14.

Acting Career

With commercial experience under her belt, Simpson landed a small role in the film The Hot Chick in 2002. She also appeared in one episode of the comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and had a recurring role on television’s 7th Heaven.

Simpson also appeared in the independent film Undiscovered in 2005, for which she received a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actress. Jessica was also nominated for her turn in The Dukes of Hazzard, but Paris Hilton ultimately won the Razzie for the category.

Music Career

Simpson’s start in the music business was anything but ordinary. With a sister who had already paved the way, and a manager in father Joe Simpson, she jump started her career in 2004 with an MTV reality show. The Ashlee Simpson Show chronicled her start in the business, giving MTV viewers a very personal behind-the-scenes look at Ashlee. The series showed how Simpson secured a record deal, while quietly building a fan base in the process.

Simpson’s debut album, Autobiography, was an instant success, in large part because of the exposure from her reality series. The album, released in July 2004, hit platinum and debuted at number one on the Billboard chart. By the fall of that year, the album earned triple platinum status. While reviews were mixed, Simpson was pleased with her CD, having co-written all of the tracks, including the very popular “Pieces of Me.” Her reality series returned for a second season in 2005.

After a concert tour for Autobiography, Ashlee Simpson’s second album, I Am Me, was released in 2005. The album also debuted at number one, selling 220,000 copies in its first week. Sales were not as strong as her first album however, and by early 2006, less than a million copies had been sold. Popular hits from the album included “Boyfriend” and “L.O.V.E.”

Ashlee, with sister Jessica

Saturday Night Live

Ashlee Simpson is well known for her very public oops during an appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2005. During her second performance on the show, Simpson’s music started with the pre-recorded vocal track she performed the first time. It was immediately known that Simpson had lip synched her performance. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Simpson did a quick dance jig before slinking off stage. At the end of the show, Simpson commented that her band had made an error with the song.

The fallout from the lip synching incident was brutal, with fans and critics taking stabs at Simpson’s inept singing abilities. Shortly after the incident, Simpson called MTV’s Total Request Live and explained that the Saturday Night Live debacle was due to an acid reflux condition that caused her to lose her voice.

Orange Bowl Disrespect

During the 2005 Orange Bowl halftime show, Ashlee Simpson performed the song “La La” to a less than enthusiastic crowd. Following the performance, she was booed off of the stage. An Internet petition soon followed, urging people to sign it so that Simpson would not continue a singing career.

Relationships

Simpson’s two year relationship with actor Josh Henderson ended during the first episode of The Ashlee Simpson Show. She went on to date singer Ryan Cabrera, a pairing that was also featured on her reality program. The couple split in 2004, got back together, then ended their relationship in 2005.

Simpson also dated Wilmer Valderrama in 2005, and it was rumored that she stole the actor from Lindsay Lohan. While many speculate that Simpson’s single “Boyfriend” was about this situation, she denies that there’s a connection.

Her latest relationship, in 2006, was with one of her band members, Braxton Olita. Us Weekly magazine reported that the two had split in September 2006. She has recently been linked with Pete Wentz, bassist for the group Fall Out Boy.

Plastic Surgery

Ashlee Simpson made headlines when her face took on a decidedly different look. While Simpson would not comment on whether or not she had plastic surgery, tabloids and entertainment programs made it quite clear that she had gotten a nose job.

Future Endeavors

Simpson finished up her latest tour in the summer of 2006, then took a much needed vacation. In early 2007, Simpson told fans that she was starting to write and record her third album, saying "I have a good feeling about 2007, and I can't wait for you guys to hear my new album later on this year."

Simpson took her career to the stage, playing Roxie Hart in the London production of Chicago in September and October of 2006.

Ashlee Simpson Facts

• Simpson sang a duet with her sister (“Little Drummer Boy”) on Jessica Simpson’s Christmas album.
• Forbes magazine listed Simpson as one of the “2006 Richest Young Celebrities,” with earnings of $8.3 million for 2005.
• She was an MTV Total Request Live DJ for a short time.
• In 2005, Cosmopolitan magazine selected Simpson as the "Fun Fearless Female of the Year."
• Simpson appears in Ryan Cabrera’s music video, “On the Way Down.”