Jessica Simpson split from Eric Johnson because ‘suffocating’ tension was making her ‘physically ill’

Jessica Simpson left Eric Johnson ‘for her own good’.

The 44-year-old singer recently announced her split from Eric, and an insider has now revealed that their differences proved to be overwhelming for Jessica.

“Their marital problems have felt suffocating for a while,” a source said People.

Jessica – who has Maxi, 12, Ace, 11, and Birdie, five, with Eric – found their marital problems were taking a toll on her overall health.

And eventually, she decided to file for divorce and move on from their relationship.

The insider explained, “She needs to move on for her own well-being.”

Jessica announced their split on Tuesday, with the blonde beauty explaining that they have “navigated a painful situation.”

She told People: “Eric and I have been living apart and going through a painful situation in our marriage.

“Our children come first and we focus on what is best for them. We are grateful for all the love and support that has come our way, and appreciate the privacy as we work through this as a family.”

Jessica, on the other hand, explained in 2023 that the couple did a lot of “little things” to keep their romance alive.

The pop star – who was previously married to Nick Lachey – told Access at the time: ‘It’s good to keep the romance there, even with three kids on our minds. It’s hard, but he leaves me little notes because he wakes up before me. He will leave little letters for me.

“There’s a lot of things that make me think, ‘I can’t wait to get my hands on it later.’ I think as a couple you should have those little things that are just between the two of you.”

This comes after news that the bombshell has already recorded brand new music in Nashville, Tennessee.

She moved to Nashville in 2023 to reconnect with her country music roots.

And The Siren has many songs on the album that deal with heartbreak, as she wrote them when her marriage to Eric Johnson broke down, DailyMail.com has learned.

“It will be about her heartbreak, so yeah, I guess you can call it a revenge, a love album,” a source told DailyMail.com after the star announced on Monday that she is living apart from Eric.

“When Jessica writes music, she pours her heart into it and has no filter, it’s very personal. So the album will really be about the struggles she went through at home. It’s super emotional and shares her side of the story.

‘She has been working on the album for years, there is a lot in it.’

In addition to her work in Nashville, she has recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles.

The last time she posted a photo with Eric on her Instagram page was in September 2023, so it looks like the marital battle has been going on for a while.

The Take My Breath Away hitmaker – who has had a number of high-profile romances – and the retired tight end said ‘I do’ in 2014 after four years of dating.

The star was last pictured with her wedding ring in 2023.

The couple hasn’t been seen together since Birdie’s kindergarten graduation on June 7, and Jessica’s Instagram has been noticeably Eric-free since their Easter celebration on April 9.

Jessica raised eyebrows when she didn’t give Eric a birthday shoutout on his 45th birthday on September 10, further fueling rumors of a marital breakdown.

Jessica sparked the conversation with a cryptic social media post on Nov. 11 that seemed to throw shade at someone close to her.

“Interviews in my music room in Nashville where I discovered my special magic,” the singer began in her caption.

“This comeback is personal, it’s an apology to myself for putting up with everything I didn’t deserve.”

Her quote raised eyebrows as followers tried to guess who made her put up with “everything I didn’t deserve.”

Simpson has previously teased her new music.

In December, she said, “I’m extra grateful today for the exciting new opportunities and inspiring encounters about music and new entertainment activities.”

Simpson explained how the children she shares with husband Eric Johnson inspired her to perform again.

‘I do this now as a mother, as a wife. I was married last time, but this is a very different marriage,” she told Bustle in July 2023.

The Dukes of Hazzard actress noted that her children “never saw her perform live” and explained that Maxwell saw her first concert with Kim Kardashian’s daughter North West.

“I’m having my daughter take a private plane with North West to visit Katy Perry in Vegas,” Simpson said. ‘And inside I think, ‘She would see me first.’

“Then I think, ‘This isn’t competitive, Jessica. Let your daughter enjoy Katy Perry.’ But there are times when I want to do it so they can see that color of mine,” she added.

After releasing her last album Happy Christmas in 2010, Simpson said: ‘It blows my mind that I’ve stayed relevant and that people are curious because I haven’t enjoyed myself. I didn’t enjoy myself at all.’

In September, Simpson explained to People that she was taking time off from her career to focus on her family after marrying Johnson in 2014.

“I was too nervous to return to my career until I felt my children were confident enough in school and in life,” she said in September. ‘I wanted to be a mother first.’

After spending the summer in Nashville working on new music, Simpson said her children are “really excited, and they know I’m living my dream and that’s what I was born to do.

“To have them experience that with me is going to be really nice,” Simpson said.

In August, Simpson opened up about her sobriety after an online troll told her to stop drinking.

“I haven’t wanted or touched alcohol since October 2017 and it has been the best decision I have made for myself and my family,” she wrote.

“Thank you for your concern, but you completely misunderstand me,” Simpson added. “Sending love your way.”