Like a Star: Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson Naked Characters

During the summer of 2003, the reality show, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica Simpson, starring Jessica Simpson and her then-new husband Nick Lachey began airing on MTV. Jessica Simpson's third album, In This Skin, was released in August 2003 to coincide with the series premiere of Newlyweds.

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The show quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and is credited with making her a household name, even among those who did not follow pop music or MTV. “I never knew that just doing the show would give me that pedestal to step on,” Jessica Simpson told Blender magazine in a March 2004 feature.

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The associated album, In This Skin, debuted at #10 on The Billboard 200 album chart, with sales of 64,000 in its first week. It rebounded after a special collectors' edition was released in April 2004 and subsequently reached a peak of #2. It was eventually certified quadruple platinum. It contained the song "Sweetest Sin", which barely even made an impact on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. However, the album did contain the hit singles "With You" (#14, 2004) and a cover of the Berlin song "Take My Breath Away" (#20, 2004), and a lesser hit, a cover of the Robbie Williams song "Angels", which charted just outside the Billboard Hot 100.

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The couple starred in the television special The Nick and Jessica Simpson Variety Hour, which aired in 2004 and was compared to The Sonny & Cher Show. Jessica Simpson released Rejoyce: The Christmas Album in late 2004, which peaked at #14 on the album chart and was later certified gold.

In 2005, Newlyweds won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show before wrapping shortly after.