Jessica Simpson’s new Amazon deal includes return to reality TV
Jessica Simpson will executive produce an unscripted project based on her memoir. She said, “I am humbled and honored to partner with Amazon Studios."
As part of a multi-project deal with Amazon Studios, singer, actress and clothing designer, Jessica Simpson, will return to the format that ignited her appeal among mainstream audiences: reality television. The projects, both scripted and unscripted, will center around her life on which her best-selling tome, Open Book, is based. Jessica also will executive produce the fictionalized account of her coming-of-age life in a series, as well as the reality television show.
In the early 2000s, Jessica starred with her then-husband, 98 Degrees singer, Nick Lachey, in MTV’s The Newlyweds. The show premiered in 2003 and ran for three seasons. Jessica and Nick were married in 2002 and filed for divorce in 2005. Their divorce was finalized in 2006. Jessica’s star rose partly because she played on the stereotypical "dumb blonde" narrative. In one episode, she famously asked Nick if the can of Chicken of Sea tuna she was holding was chicken or fish.
The unscripted, “multi-part docu-series,” Amazon project offers a behind-the-scenes look at her career as a singer. It will also highlight her addition struggles and the launch of her successful clothing business. According to IBT, Amazon not only will develop a scripted show based on her tome, Open Book, as well as the unscripted version of the book, but two essays, which Jessica will voice. The essays are slated to run in 2021, on Amazon Original Stories. In a press release, Jessica stated she is excited about working with online retailer’s media arm. “I am humbled and honored to partner with Amazon Studios to bring my story and heart to life on the screen. I am a huge TV fan and many of my favorite shows live on Amazon, so the gift of this unprecedented collaboration is a dream for me. From our first meeting, I had a visceral connection to every member of this team.” Jessica also recognized that she is leading what many people say, "living her best life." She went on to state in the press release that while she’s had peaks, she’s also experienced valleys in her journey. “I know that parts of my life have been extraordinary, but I also know that many of my struggles are universal. I hope to continue the mission I set out to accomplish in writing Open Book – to inspire others to be entertained, moved, and empowered to walk through fear and come out on the other side even stronger.”
Open Book was No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. The book is based on journals she began as a 15-year-old and incorporates the wisdom, struggles and lessons she’s learned along the way on her journey through life. And what a journey’s it’s been. From her initial start as a Christian singer in suburban Dallas, Texas, to her crossover to pop music, life as MTV’s newlywed and romance with former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, these new Amazon Studios’ projects are just the appetizer needed by an audience intrigued by her unimagined life.