Why Jessica Simpson Forgave The Woman Who Sexually Abused Her
By Tess Farrand, Associate Content Editor
Jessica Simpson forgave the woman who sexually abused her in her youth because she didn’t want to be a slave to bitterness, Simpson told Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt.
“I knew that I couldn’t move forward without letting her know that… I wasn’t just gonna leave it unsaid. I left it unsaid for far too long, but I knew that if I was honest with her, that it would clear my conscience,” Simpson said.
Simpson shared her road to forgiveness on Pratt’s podcast on forgiveness, based on Pratt’s book with the same premise.
Yahoo Entertainment reported more on Simpson’s story:
Simpson wrote about being sexually abused by a family friend during childhood in her February memoir, Open Book. While Simpson didn’t identify the person, she said it was someone who would have sleepovers with her when her family went to visit another family two or three times a year.
The Jessica Simpson Collection designer said she had told the woman’s brother and mother beforehand, so they would be there to support her abuser. Then Simpson went in and addressed her directly.
Simpson told her abuser, “‘I just want you to know that I forgive you and I don’t really care to be around you that much or ever again, but I do want you to know that, like, I know what happened between us, and I’m not gonna live in denial about it.’”
Practicing forgiveness is further proof of the Holy Spirit’s fruit in Simpson’s life.
Years ago Simpson, who’s father used to be a pastor, told Vanity Fair, “I live off the [Christian] faith that has been instilled in me, that has never left.”
In recent months during social unrest and COVID-19, Simpson has been vocal about the power of prayer and worship on social media.
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