Jessica Simpson seemed visibly drunk during an Ellen interview and fans felt sorry for her: "Poor girl..."
Ellen DeGeneres became one of the most famous talk show hosts during her time on daytime TV. Thanks to her success, she made a lot of money and enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle. One of the reasons for DeGeneres' success was her ability to interview guests well. However, one interview with a famous singer, Jessica Simpson turned awkward when she appeared intoxicated.
In 2017, Jessica Simpson appeared on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' to promote her clothing brand. After the interview aired, many people on social media wondered if she was drunk. Life & Style even questioned whether she was intoxicated or "just not very smart." When the interview went viral, people on Reddit started discussing it. In the r/cringe subreddit, several users shared their thoughts. Some felt bad for Simpson, like one person who said it was upsetting that she was allowed on national TV in that condition, "Why is Ellen hosting crazies? This is just sad to humanity." Another Reddit user tried to understand why Simpson might have acted that way, "Poor girl, I bet she was nervous about her first 'big interview' in a while, and had a drink to relax. But she was still nervous, so then another. And then another."
Meanwhile, another said on Twitter, "Was the Ellen Show hard up for guests today? Watching the Jessica Simpson interview was cringe-worthy. #Ellen #awkward". However, that tweet was later taken down, as per the outlet. Some viewers also criticized how DeGeneres handled the interview. According to News.com.au, DeGeneres started by asking if Simpson was pregnant, which made things even more uncomfortable, The Things reported. Years later, Simpson spoke about the interview while promoting her memoir 'Open Book' in 2020.
During an appearance on 'The Today Show' in 2020, she admitted that she was drunk at the time and struggling with alcohol addiction. "I can’t even watch the interview," she said. "I can’t watch it. It was a weak moment for me and I wasn’t in the right place. It was embarrassing. I was spiraling and I couldn’t catch up with myself. And that was with alcohol." Shortly after the Ellen interview, Simpson decided to quit drinking. She explained on 'Today' that she realized she needed to change after a heartbreaking moment with her family on Halloween 2017, as per US Magazine. That morning, she started drinking at 7 am and kept going all day. By the evening, she was too drunk to celebrate Halloween with her husband and children.
Even though she posted a cute family photo of them all dressed up, she later admitted, "I honestly couldn’t even tell you who got them ready. I was just dazed and confused and I just wanted to go to sleep. I didn’t take them trick-or-treating. I didn’t show up for my family. I took the picture and made the world think I showed up." The next day, Simpson decided to stop drinking for good. In 2022, she reflected on how she lost herself before she got sober, "When I stopped drinking, it was because I had stopped hearing the voice I really trusted, and I was lost without her," Yahoo reported.