Jessica Simpson alludes to marriage struggles with Eric Johnson in new song after “rough” dating experience

Jessica Simpson appeared to make a thinly veiled dig at her estranged husband Eric Johnson in her latest song.

The singer, 45, dropped a new track titled Fade on Tuesday, in which she opened up more about her recent heartbreak, seemingly directed at her marriage to the football player, 45.

In the song, she hinted at ’empty promises’ her past lover once told her before their relationship ended.

‘You can always say you love me / That doesn’t mean that I feel loved / There’s a green light in the distance / And all your words become too much,’ she sang in a verse.

In the chorus, the actress — who recently shared a grim update on her dating life following her dramatic split with her longtime partner — crooned about how she walked away and left her ex waiting on her.

‘You can just wait on me / I won’t be around / Watching you fade on me / Your words mean nothing now,’ she sang.

In the song, which she co-wrote with Trent Dabbs and Teresa LaBarbera, Simpson also sang about how her former spouse made too many mistakes and broke her heart too many times. 

‘I have way too good a memory / I have no more heart to break / You’re as empty as your promise / Go sleep alone in the bed you made,’ the star continued. 

‘I’ve been way too optimistic / Now it’s all taking a turn / They’re gonna talk, but it’s not their business / The stars align and sometimes burn.’

On the same day, she opened up about the songwriting process behind the track, revealing that her newly released music was born from a ‘heavy, emotional moment.’ 

While she did not name her estranged husband in the song, she was notably married to Johnson for 10 years before they separated several months ago.

‘This song came straight from my heart,’ she revealed in a press release on Tuesday, per Us Weekly. 

‘I had just lived through this heavy, emotional moment, but there was no way I was gonna cancel my songwriting session,’ she recalled. ‘I walked into the studio with tears still on my cheeks, and what came out was a prayer.’

Simpson then explained her song Fade ‘is about watching someone you love slip away in real time, while trying to hold on to something that’s already gone.’

Fade is the first single from her upcoming EP, Nashville Canyon, Pt. 2, which is set for release on September 4, 2025. 

She dropped the first collection of songs, Nashville Canyon, Pt. 1, in March, just two months after announcing that she and her husband of 10 years had called it quits.

In recent weeks, the Dukes of Hazzard alum has also been opening about dating after her dramatic split with her husband outside of her art.

As she has been open about her split with estranged husband Eric amid their divorce and swirling cheating rumors, there has been plenty of intrigue if she is back in the dating pool yet.

In a video obtained by DailyMail.com, Simpson was asked if she was ready to move on romantically to which she replied: ‘It’s a rough road in the dating world.’

She remained mum on whether she has actively tried to put herself out there but she is not ready for online dating.

Simpson explained: ‘I mean I’m not getting on the apps yet.’

The Irresistible hitmaker was asked if it had to be a dating app or if she would be open to being set up by a friend.

The mother-of-three said: ‘I would love for a friend to set me up. Are you kidding me?’

The blonde bombshell looked stylish for the flight as she was seemingly heading to New York City for a concert at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday.

She donned an oversized grey blazer with silver sequins all over it with an oversized white T-Shirt won as a dress and black leather platform boots.

Simpson wore her signature blonde locks down as she sported natural, complementary make-up and accessorized with large designer shades. 

She and Johnson, 45, announced their split in January after nearly 11 years of marriage and three children together, and Simpson has since hinted at infidelity on Johnson’s part in her fiery comeback track Leave.

In early April, the I Wanna Love You Forever singer and the former NFL star were spotted reuniting with their daughters Maxwell, 12, and Birdie, five, and son Ace, 11 — along with what looked like Johnson’s parents — signaling the two are working to co-parent despite the drama.

In May, a source reveals that Simpson and Johnson are on surprisingly good terms.

‘They are getting along well and everyone seems to be very happy,’ the insider shared with USWeekly on Thursday. 

‘They talk and see each other all the time and have decided that no matter what happens, they will get along for the kids.’

Despite the fact that neither has filed official divorce papers yet, the source made one thing clear: ‘Right now there is no talk of getting back together.’

But they didn’t shut the door entirely, teasing, ‘With Jessica and Eric, you never know.’

‘They love each other and will always be supportive of one another,’ the insider added.’

‘For now, Jessica and Eric will be at a lot of holidays and birthdays together and just navigating their new truth.’

Simpson — who once famously called Eric her ‘sexual shaman’ — came back swinging with Leave, a track dripping with breakup venom. 

The lyrics pull no punches: ‘What we had was magic / Now you’ve made it tragic / Giving her what you gave to me / Now the well that you drank from is empty.’

She digs even deeper, singing: ‘Your weakness made me lonely / Unholy matrimony / Did you do to her what you did to me? Was she on her knees? / She’s everything but me.’

And she lands the final blow: ‘I want you to leave / I don’t even wanna breathe the air you breathe / I am stronger on my own / So hold on / I’m letting you go.’

In April, Simpson opened up onstage at the Luck Reunion about confronting her husband just before things fell apart, saying her world ‘turned upside down’ after she followed her gut and asked ‘some very personal questions on the home front.’

These days, Simpson is embracing her single status, telling fans she’s a ‘very single lady.’

While their split may feel sudden to the public, whispers of trouble began as early as November 2024 when Simpson teased her new music on Instagram, writing, ‘This comeback is personal, it’s an apology to myself for putting up with everything I did not deserve..’

Simpson was previously married to 98 Degrees frontman Nick Lachey from 2002 to 2006, a relationship immortalized on their reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica.