Jessica Simpson says she was heartbroken after being publicly body-shamed for wearing a pair of “mom jeans” a decade ago.
The pop star, 39, memorably wore the high-waisted denim pants by Grey Ant — with a black tank top and a leopard belt — while performing at a chili cook-off in 2009, and when photos of her look went viral, she was bullied relentlessly.
“This picture that circulated and went worldwide broke my heart,” Simpson told Hoda Kotb during an interview for the “Today” show that aired Tuesday. “Not the picture necessarily, but the caption. Like, all the captions.”
“I was taken down by the world,” the fashion designer added, noting that she also felt embarrassed for her then-boyfriend, NFL star Tony Romo.
The mom of three devoted an entire chapter in her new memoir, “Open Book,” to the experience. She named the section “Death By Mom Jeans.”
After the photos came out, Simpson felt “a dysmorphia set in” that destroyed her confidence, she wrote.
Also in the book, she details her struggles with alcohol and pills before finally getting sober in 2017.
“Open Book” is out now.
Listen to this episode of Page Six’s podcast “We Hear” for an interview with Jessica Simpson’s former publicist Rob Shuter: