It’s been 14 years since Ashlee Simpson appeared on a now infamous October 23, 2004 episode of Saturday Night Live, in which she was caught lip-syncing—and decided to make the most of the moment with an odd dance. Although it seems fairly harmless, especially considering the more salacious celebrity scandals that have come and gone in the years since, there are still people who want to ask about those awkward 39 seconds. So, Simpson likes to talk about it first. “That’s something that people always bring up,” said Simpson on a recent Tuesday morning in New York City, where she was gearing up for the premiere of her new reality series, Ashlee+Evan. The first episode of the series, which airs this Sunday, also addresses the SNL incident. “Of course I bring it up,” she explained. “That moment in my life shouldn’t have been as big of a deal as it was. I just put it out there because it’s something that people got obsessed about.” It’s certainly hard to imagine that now, in the age of daily Twitter feuds and Instagram comment wars, that such an event would capture the public in the same way. “I know, right?” Simpson agreed. “It definitely taught me to be a strong woman and to stand up for myself and to believe in myself.” So there it is. Now it’s officially time to move on. Simpson certainly has. These days, Simpson is 33 years old and happily married to actor and musician Evan Ross, son of Diana Ross, and the mother of two children, Bronx, her nine-year-old son with former husband Pete Wentz, and Jagger, her daughter with Ross whose third birthday they recently celebrated with a “hippie”-themed party. When we meet in August, her hair is long and bright blonde, not jet black or fire-engine red or short and choppy, or any other iteration you may recall from the early aughts. She’s sitting at the kitchen table of a Tribeca apartment that has acted as a makeshift home during a recent stay in New York, and she is wearing a simple, floral slip dress and white sneakers—no studded belts in sight. Clearly it isn’t 2004 anymore. But it is 2018, and if there is one thing 2018 loves, it’s a nostalgic pop culture moment, so come Sunday night, Simpson is returning to reality television. But this is no reboot The Ashlee Simpson Show, the MTV docuseries that aired 2004–2005, as Simpson is quick to point out. “When I did my first show, reality was different,” she said. “It’s different that I have my own family now, and back then I was just a young girl in my punk pants and going through heartbreak and all those kind of things. This time, I’m getting to do a project with my husband.” In fact, Ashlee+Evan wasn’t even intended to be a reality show in the beginning, but rather a type of home-movie documenting the couple’s process making of a joint album, due out this fall. Eventually, the idea of turning it into a docuseries was conceived, and the pair ended up at E! with a full-series order and prime airtime directly following Keeping Up With the Kardashians on Sunday nights. Naturally there was also some hesitation on her end about returning to life in front of the cameras. “At first I was like, ‘What am I doing?’” she shared. “But I think a part of me knew it was important. I’ve been gone for a very long time and for me, I needed this time for myself and to be a mom to my kids.” During that time, she was building quite the life for herself—one that is seemingly tailor-made for reality TV. There’s her relationship with Ross (the pair were married in 2004 after a year of dating), as well as her extended friend group, some of whom avid fans may recognize from The Ashlee Simpson Show. “I dyed her hair back in the day,” she said, gesturing toward pal and frequent companion Stephanie Pearson, who happened to be passing. “I had blonde hair when we did The Ashlee Simpson Show and I had finished shooting 7th Heaven, and I dyed my hair from a box. I went to the grocery store and bought one. Then I tried to do hers and it was like wine, red wine. And I did her eyebrows. It was really bad. I’m definitely not coloring anyone’s hair now.” There’s also her family. On her side, big sister Jessica Simpson and parents Joe and Tina; on his, eight siblings, including actress Tracee Ellis Ross, and, of course, mom Diana—all of whom make cameos on the show. “They were really supportive. They know our love,” Simpson said. “We’re pretty open people with our friends and what not, and who we are. It’s definitely different being open like that with cameras, but when you’re not, you can tell. That was a decision: When we’re doing this, we have to come in with open hearts, or it shows.” And, yes, she knows she’s lucky to have not just an amazingly supportive family but also two older sisters known for their distinctive styles. “They both buy the greatest pieces ever,” she said. “[Jessica] buys me the greatest birthday gifts ever. She got me this Gucci leather jacket with studs and embroidery, so she gets where I’m at. Her closet is really amazing. And Tracee, her style is next level. I’m inspired by them, for sure.” (Of her own personal style, she says: “I’m definitely not in green Converse and pants with my butt crack hanging out [anymore]…My pants were really low back then.”) In addition to the adult family members, the show also includes appearances from both of Simpson’s children. “I didn’t want the cameras in their faces. It was more if they wanted to be in the room, or that was happening at that moment, then naturally that would happen. Jagger is the boss. She’s like, ‘Okay, we’re done. Stop shooting my mom,’” Simpson says.<doc-sep>A: "I think what was so hard was...look, things happen. I lost my voice. Something happened to my throat. I had nodes. It was something I needed to take care of. I was a new, young singer so shit happens. People fall on stage. People have issues. It happens. Looking back, I would have handled it differently or whatever, but I don’t think that the media would be as crazy about it now. I look back on myself and I’m like, ‘Oh I just want to give her a hug.’ I was so young and so sad. But it made me stronger and dealing with the world in that way and learning self love and value and knowing I was the artist I was and those were my songs that I was writing and having to find the strength to get up and go perform and go on tour, it made me a stronger person, absolutely. It definitely taught me how to block out negativity and how to face those kinds of things. Being able to say 'Nope, I’m not going to go. I don’t care if it’s the biggest show ever. I can’t talk, I have no voice, I’m not doing it.' Now, I would say no."<doc-sep>They are joining forces on a professional level and are set to release their debut single, I Do, on Friday. And Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross proved they were inseparable as they headed to Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen's studios in New York City on Tuesday night. The songstress, 33 - who wed in 2014 and have daughter Jagger, three, together - made for a very glamorous appearance as she showed off her envy-inducing bronzed legs in a striking mini-dress. Date night: Ashlee Simpson, 33, and Evan Ross, 30, proved they were inseparable as they headed to Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen's studios in New York City on Tuesday Ashlee commanded attention in her bodycon dress which showed off her decolletage with its bardot neckline and fell at a thigh-skimming length to make the most of her toned pins. The sister of Jessica Simpson teamed the sparkling number with a pair of sky-high white heels and toted her essentials in a chic black handbag. The blonde bombshell completed the head-turning look by wearing her hair in a chic centre-parted bun, teamed with a striking coat of make-up. Proving his style credentials, Evan also cut a trendy figure in a marl grey knit, ankle-grazing jeans. Fashionista: The songstress - who wed in 2014 and have daughter Jagger, three, together - showed off her envy-inducing bronzed legs in a striking mini-dress Wow: Ashlee commanded attention in her bodycon dress which showed off her decolletage with its bardot neckline and fell at a thigh-skimming length to make the most of her toned pins The son of music icon Diana Ross pulled the look together with shiny black boots and an oversized fedora hat. I Do not only marks the first single from Ashlee and Evan as a couple, but it's also the first new music from singer Ashlee in over a decade. The pop ballad was written by the couple themselves, as well as legendary bassist Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire, Austin Brown, Brian London, and Palmer Reed. Speaking in a press release, the couple said: 'Music was always one of the things that connected us from the beginning.' New music! They are joining forces on a professional level and are set to release their debut single, I Do, on Friday She's back! I Do not only marks the first single from Ashlee and Evan as a couple, but it's also the first new music from singer Ashlee in over a decade 'We liked our voices together, and as time went on, we thought it was something that we wanted to share. I Do is our commitment to our music and each other.' I Do will be featured during the first episode of the pair's E! reality show, Ashlee + Evan, which is set to take fans behind-the-scenes on their journey through love, making music and raising a family. The show will premiere in the US on September 9, and air in 160 across the world. Meanwhile, the couple recently celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on social media.<doc-sep>PEOPLE Now airs live, Monday through Friday, from the Meredith offices in New York City. Catch PEOPLE Now every weekday at 12:00 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT on People.com or on the PeopleTV app on your favorite streaming device. Want even more? Check out clips from previous episodes of PEOPLE Now.<doc-sep>
The couple, who will share their life on a new docuseries, dish on their famous family tree. When it comes to the merging of two famous families, Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross might have just accomplished one of the most major mergers in showbiz. When the twosome married in 2014, they combined the Simpson-Ross families, making all sorts of entertainment industry stars and insiders related in one way or another. Yes, it now means that Diana Ross, Tracee Ellis Ross (who dishes on the couple, below), Jessica Simpson, and manager Joe Simpson are all family. We wish there was a show about this... (Actually, we'll get to that later...) But the couple told The Daily Dish this week, ahead of the premiere of their new E! show, Ashlee and Evan, that it's not all sing-alongs at family gatherings — even if the couple does enjoy performing a duet and is just days away from the release of their joint single, "I Do," this Friday. "We're super normal; there's no talent shows," Evan shared. "Everybody's just so fun. I think it's interesting, 'cause there is a lot of talented [people] musically and artist-wise in our family [but] you don't feel that when you're with them." The entire crew out and about. Presenting Diana Ross! (And Ashlee and Pete...) Show Highlight Hanging Out with Ashlee & Jessica Simpson bravo Insider Exclusive! Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more! Sign Up for Free to View Instead, though, it's the next generation that's turning up the diva dial, including their daughter, Jagger: "She's become a little superstar; she can perform and everything," Evan shared, noting that she shares Diana's fondness for costumes like tutus and gowns. Ashlee and Evan with their daughter, Jagger, and Ashlee's son, Bronx. That A-list status extends to outside of their own immediate gene pool, as Ashlee's ex is Fall Out Boy rocker, Pete Wentz, with whom she has a son, Bronx. Turns out, the whole clan, exes, and current spouses included, all love each other. "Bronx is such an amazing kid and I think we just all really bonded very well," Evan said. "And I feel like us and Pete have such a great relationship too that it all just worked out. And I know that it doesn't always happen — it's one of those things where you hope it does, but it did and I think it's consistently stayed that way." As for Ashlee, meeting Evan definitely completed things for her in her life. "I feel like getting married to Evan was just amazing. It was a moment in life," she said. "I was so thankful I really had found my soul mate. I was a single mom [and] sometimes you're like, 'I don't know where my life is gonna take me.' So the day he walked into my life was a very special one." Ashlee and ex, Pete, before they split in 2011, with son, Bronx. Now, viewers are used to seeing the Simpsons on TV: both Ashlee and big sister, Jessica, had MTV reality shows and their dad, Joe, previously appeared on Vanderpump Rules. But the Ross clan, despite their deep ties to the entertainment industry, is definitely new to this format. Show Highlight Tom Sandoval's Joe Simpson Photo Shoot bravo Insider Exclusive! Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more! Sign Up for Free to View "None of them had done it before. We did something different though. I feel like we did something that feels a lot more docuseries and that was a clear decision," Evan said. "We protected everybody and it was fun and it was very authentic. It wasn't like we were manufacturing things. So everybody felt very confident. We had to show them what we were up to first." And while we will get to meet many of Evan's family (although he notes "you didn't even see everybody. There's more. We got a big family. They live in Norway, London,"), he's hoping the show will show people a bigger picture of who they are — including his late dad, businessman and mountaineer Arne Næss Jr., who died in 2004 in a mountain climbing accident. Evan, as a kid, with his mom and dad. "I don't really think anybody's really gotten to know us. I don't think people really know very much about our family [on the Ross side] other than what people have seen.