Jessica Simpson has reportedly decided to hold on to the $17.9 million Los Angeles mansion she bought with her estranged spouse, Eric Johnson, who is understood to have moved out of the property in the wake of their split—seemingly reversing his wife’s plans to sell the opulent dwelling.
Simpson, 45, and Johnson, 46, initially listed the extraordinary Hidden Hills dwelling on Jan. 11, 2025, just two days before they confirmed the news of their separation, with the “Irresistible” singer telling “Entertainment Tonight” that the pair had been “living separately” for some time.
Months later, the home was taken off the market, only to bizarrely reappear for just three days in December and another two days this January before vanishing again.
Now, sources have shed some light on the reasons for all that to-ing and fro-ing, telling TMZ that Simpson has decided to hold on to the seven-bedroom, 10-bathroom dwelling, which is located in the tony neighborhood of Hidden Hills, just a stone’s throw away from properties owned by Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Khloe Kardashian.
While Johnson has moved out of the dwelling, the insider told the outlet that he has not gone far, revealing that he has since purchased his own L.A. abode nearby and noting that the former couple’s three children are now splitting their time between the two properties.
When Simpson and Johnson first announced their split, the musician insisted that their kids were their main priority—vowing that they would continue to co-parent as amicably as possible.
“Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage,” she said in a statement.
“Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way, and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family.”
Before confirming the news of their separation, Simpson and Johnson had made several attempts to sell their home, which they purchased for $11.5 million in 2013, one year before tying the knot in an intimate ceremony in Montecito.
They initially listed the dwelling for the sky-high price of $22 million in September 2023, before taking it down in August of the following year. It was relisted in January 2025 for the much lower price of $17.9 million.
In a previous listing, the property was described as a “private retreat” that offers “mesmerizing city lights and mountain views that will leave you breathless.”
It added: “Awe-inspiring features abound, including eight spacious en-suite bedrooms with beautifully appointed baths, a guest house complete with a kitchenette, and an intricately paneled study featuring a warm fireplace.”
The listing photos revealed that Simpson and Johnson had carried out extensive renovations to the home to accommodate their lifestyle, including adding a funky and colorful recording studio where the singer was able to work on her music.
Fun fabrics, textures, and colors can be found throughout the property, including a wood-paneled library, which was given a very modern feel with the addition of some zebra-print couches, and the entryway, which was covered in elegant floral wallpaper.
An enormous pool anchors the backyard, and the home’s hilltop perch offers stunning views of the surrounding area. Multiple outdoor dining areas provide the perfect place to soak up the California sun.
The property served as Simpson and Johnson’s marital home for more than 10 years—and it is where they raised all three of their children.
Interestingly, despite her apparent eagerness to hold on to her California property, Simpson had previously expressed a desire to quit the Golden State once and for all.
She told her sister, Ashlee Simpson Ross, in a 2025 interview for The Cut that she first came to the realization that the city was no longer the best fit for her when she moved to Nashville, TN, temporarily to write her latest album, “Nashville Canyon.”
“As mothers, we’re people pleasers. We want to make sure everybody’s happy, nobody’s crying,” she said. “We come last here in L.A. I needed to go somewhere where I was first. Not that I didn’t think of my children.”
The former reality TV star revealed that she and Johnson continued co-parenting their three children—Maxwell, 13, Ace, 12, and Birdie, 6—while she was living in a rental property in Tennessee, explaining that the kids spent time with her in that home, as well as in the family’s mansion in California, where their father was residing.
Speaking to her sibling from inside her Hidden Hills home, Simpson explained that she didn’t know whether she would relocate to Nashville full time, but said she was confident in her decision to leave Los Angeles once and for all.
“I feel like I’ve been home too long. My L.A. house is on the market. I don’t know where I’m going next, but it’s time to go,” she said.
Simpson was full of praise for her estranged spouse, expressing her gratitude towards him for allowing her the freedom to move to Nashville to write her album.
“It is a gift. Eric supported that gift. My kids supported that gift,” she said of the time she spent in Tennessee.
Speaking of her decision to temporarily relocate to Nashville, Simpson explained that it was prompted by a realization she had while celebrating daughter Maxwell’s 11th birthday in the city, saying that that moment made her “see the light.”
“I had to be in Nashville. I started looking at real estate that day,” she recalled.
In addition to the emotional space that Nashville afforded her, there was another very exciting upside to living in the Tennessee city that Simpson enjoyed: no paparazzi.
“Another great thing about Nashville is there’s no paparazzi. I literally was doing cartwheels down the Walmart aisles,” she joked.