Jessica Simpson is living up to the title of her autobiography Open Book. The actress, 39, shared during her Jan. 29 interview with Jimmy Kimmel that she was the center of a bet between her contemporaries Justin Timberlake, 38, and Ryan Gosling, 39, back in the day. Following her audition for The Mickey Mouse Club, Jessica revealed that she eventually reconnected with Justin. “We were in the same circuit and I knew Justin Timberlake very well. After divorce and he was out of a relationship, he was over at my house,” the star confessed to the Jimmy Kimmel Live host. Jessica then shared that their friendly relationship quickly took a turn to something possibly more!
As she went on, Jessica revealed to Jimmy that the duo shared “a nostalgic kiss.” Of course, the situation caught Jessica off guard, with her initial reaction being, “‘Oh, this is interesting,'” she recollected of her immediate thoughts. But something was amiss. “He took his phone out and started typing,” she went on. “And I was like, ‘Okay, well, I hope that’s not another girl.'” Then, Jessica revealed the reason behind Justin’s actions. “Apparently he and Ryan Gosling had a bet on who would kiss me first when they were 12-years-old! And, so, he texted Ryan and said he won the bet.” Through laughter, Jessica told Jimmy that, to her, it meant that she and Justin wouldn’t “kiss again!”
While Jessica’s story about Justin and Ryan is one of the lighter tales from her storied life, there are some moments that are darker. During an interview with Today‘s Hoda Kotb, Jessica revealed she simply “can’t watch” her May 2017 interview with Ellen DeGeneres when she appeared on the daytime talk show. “It was a weak moment for me and I wasn’t in the right place. I had started a spiral and I couldn’t catch up with myself. And that was with alcohol,” she described her life at the time to Hoda. Clearly, there’s a lot that Jessica is unpacking in her forthcoming memoir.
Open Book, out Feb. 4, details one low point with instances of hope throughout Jessica’s time in and out of the spotlight. More than anything, she’s also coming to terms with her battle with substance abuse — specifically with alcohol. Now sober, Jessica is clearly thriving in her new life. The star has been married to her NFL husband, Eric Johnson, 40, since 2014. The pair have three children — 10-month-old, Birdie Mae, Ace, 6, and Maxwell, 7. As Jessica continues to promote her memoir, fans look forward to hearing more stories as Jessica begins to write the next chapter of her life!