Jessica Simpson's husband Eric Johnson quit drinking when she decided to get sober
The 39-year-old singer praised her husband - with whom she has children Maxwell, seven, Ace, six, and baby Birdie, 10 months - for helping her to give up alcohol in 2017 by going teetotal with her
30 January 2020
Writing in her memoir 'Open Book', excerpted in PEOPLE, Jessica explained: "Eric gave up drinking the second I did. He said, ‘I'll do it with you, babe.' It was like no biggie and he hasn't gone back or looked back.
“It's just the way he is. He's a very selfless and loving person who is the most incredible father on the planet.”
Jessica previously revealed she was "killing [herself]" with drugs and alcohol when trying to block out the pain of being abused as a child.
The star was warned by doctors that her self-medication was endangering her life so she made the decision to get sober in November 2017.
She said: "I was killing myself with all the drinking and pills.
"Giving up the alcohol was easy. I was mad at that bottle. At how it allowed me to stay complacent and numb."
Jessica claimed she was first abused when she was six years old and "shared a bed with the daughter of a family friend."
She admitted: "It would start with tickling my back and then go into things that were extremely uncomfortable."
The 'These Boots Are Made for Walking' singer was desperate to confide in someone but felt frozen with fear and convinced she was to blame.
She wrote: "I wanted to tell my parents. I was the victim but somehow I felt in the wrong."
Jessica recalled how she hit rock bottom after a Halloween party at her house in 2017.
She told her closest friends: "I need to stop. Something's got to stop. And if it's the alcohol that's doing this, and making things worse, then I quit."
The star has been sober since that day thanks to the support of her friends, parents and family, as well as a team of doctors and two therapy sessions a week and admitted her newfound clarity is a "continual gift".
She said: "When I finally said I needed help, it was like I was that little girl that found her calling again in life.
"I found direction and that was to walk straight ahead with no fear.
"Honesty is hard but it's the most rewarding thing we have. And getting to the other side of fear is beautiful."
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