Ashlee Simpson Bio
Ashley Nicolle Ross-Næss, known professionally as Ashlee Simpson, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. The younger sister of singer and actress Jessica Simpson, she began her career as a backup dancer and appeared in television commercials as a teenager. Simpson rose to fame with her 2004 single “Pieces of Me” and her debut album Autobiography, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200.
Over the following two decades, Simpson released multiple studio albums, took leading roles in film and television, and made notable appearances on the Broadway and West End stages, most famously as Roxie Hart in Chicago. She has three children and continues to perform and release music in collaboration with her husband, Evan Ross.
Early Life and Background
Ashlee Simpson was born on October 3, 1984, in Waco, Texas, to parents Joe and Tina Simpson. She grew up in Richardson, Texas, alongside her older sister, Jessica Simpson, attending Prairie Creek Elementary and North Junior High School. From a young age, Simpson showed a strong interest in performance. She began studying classical ballet at the age of three, and at eleven, she enrolled at the School of American Ballet in New York City, becoming the youngest person ever admitted to the prestigious institution, even though the minimum age requirement was twelve.
During her early teens, Simpson struggled with an unnamed eating disorder for about six months and received treatment from her parents. In 1999, the Simpson family relocated to Los Angeles, California, so that her older sister could pursue a recording career. Once settled in California, Simpson began appearing in television commercials, with her father, Joe Simpson, working as her agent. She has cited childhood dreams of performing on Broadway rather than breaking into the pop music scene.
Path to Music
Following the commercial success of her sister Jessica’s debut album Sweet Kisses, Simpson joined the tour as one of her backup dancers. Hoping to expand into acting, she landed a minor guest appearance on Malcolm in the Middle and a small role as Monique in the 2002 comedy film The Hot Chick, before joining the family drama 7th Heaven as Cecilia Smith for a total of forty episodes across two seasons. She also recorded songs for the School’s Out! Christmas holiday album and the Freaky Friday film soundtrack, which helped her gain industry visibility.
Simpson later began writing and recording demos in hopes of landing a record deal. Shortly after the release of the Freaky Friday soundtrack in 2003, it was confirmed that she had signed with Geffen Records to release her debut studio album. Around the same time, she appeared as a VJ on MTV’s TRL during the summer of 2003 and was featured on the network’s hit reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, which centered on her older sister.
Ashlee Simpson Career
Early Career (1999–2003)
Simpson began her entertainment career in 1999 as a backup dancer for her sister Jessica Simpson. As a teenager, she transitioned into acting, taking on small television and film roles. She appeared in a commercial for the brand Liquid Ice and made her first on-screen appearance with a guest role on Malcolm in the Middle. Simpson then appeared in the 2002 comedy film The Hot Chick and joined the cast of 7th Heaven, where she played Cecilia Smith for forty episodes.
Her early career also included music contributions to film soundtracks. She recorded “Christmas Past, Present, and Future” for the holiday compilation School’s Out! Christmas and “Just Let Me Cry” for the 2003 Freaky Friday soundtrack. These early projects helped establish her as a working performer and laid the foundation for her eventual solo music career.
Breakthrough (2003–2004)
Simpson’s big break came with the success of MTV’s reality series The Ashlee Simpson Show, which chronicled the making of her debut album and aired from 2004 to 2005. Her debut single, “Pieces of Me”, released in 2004, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart, earning a gold certification from the RIAA. Her debut album, Autobiography, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart in July 2004, selling an estimated 398,000 copies in its first week.
Despite the album’s success, Simpson faced major public scrutiny following an incident on Saturday Night Live on October 23, 2004. After losing her voice due to acid reflux, she used a pre-recorded vocal track, but the wrong song was triggered, leading her to walk off stage. Although a 60 Minutes segment supported her account, the incident drew significant media criticism.
She continued to earn recognition, winning the Teen Choice Award for Song of the Summer and the Fresh Face Award in 2004, along with the Billboard Music Award for New Female Artist of the Year. Entertainment Weekly also named her one of its Breakout Stars of 2004.
Notable Works and Milestones
Simpson’s signature work remains her 2004 debut album Autobiography, which sold over five million copies worldwide and stands as her most commercially successful release. She is also widely recognized for her portrayal of Roxie Hart in the West End and Broadway productions of Chicago, a role she reprised multiple times between 2006 and 2013. Her early 2000s pop-rock image, often compared to artists like Avril Lavigne, helped define a generation of television-driven pop stars.
Ashlee Simpson Award Nominations
Throughout her career, Ashlee Simpson has received nominations across several entertainment industry awards, including a nomination for Worst Supporting Actress at the 2005 Golden Raspberry Awards for her role in the film Undiscovered. She has also been recognized by fan-voted awards including the Teen Choice Awards and the MTV Australia Video Music Awards for her music and television work.
Ashlee Simpson Awards Won
Simpson has earned several notable awards, beginning with her breakout year in 2004. She won the Teen Choice Award for Song of the Summer and the Fresh Face Award, along with the Billboard Music Award for New Female Artist of the Year. In 2006, she won two MTV Australia Video Music Awards, taking home Best Female Artist and Best Pop Video for her single “Boyfriend”.
Ashlee Simpson Family
Simpson was raised in Richardson, Texas, by her parents, Joe Simpson, who also worked as her agent, and Tina Simpson. She has one older sister, Jessica Simpson, a successful singer and actress in her own right. In July 2014, Simpson and her husband Evan Ross filed requests to change their surname to Ross-Næss, with Næss being her husband’s original legal surname from his father, businessman Arne Næss Jr., and Ross being his mother, singer Diana Ross’s surname.
Personal Life
Simpson was previously married to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz from 2008 to 2011, and the couple share a son, Bronx, born on November 20, 2008. She began dating actor and singer Evan Ross, the son of Diana Ross, in 2013, and the two married on August 30, 2014, at Diana Ross’s estate in Connecticut. Together, they have a daughter born on July 30, 2015, and a son born on October 29, 2020. Simpson and Ross have released music together as the duo Ashlee + Evan and starred in the E! reality series Ashlee+Evan in 2018.