Jessica Simpson is opening up about her struggles with dyslexia.
The singer and fashion designer, 40, revealed on Instagram that she has dyslexia, a type of learning disorder that can affect a person’s ability to read, spell, write and speak. Simpson shared that she has the condition while celebrating that her audiobook recording of her bestselling memoir, Open Book, was named one of the best audiobooks of the year.
“Fact: I’m dyslexic and this was the first time I have ever read out loud without hesitation,” she wrote. “I did it for the listener. I did it for my family. I did it for myself.”
Simpson’s memoir, a #1 New York Times bestseller, was highly praised for its unfiltered look at her life and career. Her audiobook recording of the memoir received similar acclaim, and Apple Books included it on their top audiobooks of 2020.
“@applebooks, thank you for recognizing and respecting my story,” the mom of three said. “Turning my fears into wisdom has been a soulful journey to say the least. I appreciate the power of this praise with all of my heart.”
Simpson originally had an offer to write a motivational book on “living your best life,” she told PEOPLE in January, ahead of the publication of Open Book, but felt that it wouldn’t be an “honest” depiction of her life. Instead, Simpson opted to share her full story, revealing for the first time that she was sexually abused at a young girl, and how that along with career stress led her to heavily self-medicate with alcohol and stimulants.
Simpson wrote in her book that she buried her anxiety, pain and trauma for years as her career skyrocketed. But her reliance on alcohol and stimulants to numb the pain led her doctor to tell her that her life was in danger. In 2017, she hit rock bottom and reached out for help. Since then, she’s been sober.
“It’s been a long hard deep emotional journey, one that I’ve come through the other side with pure happiness and fulfillment and acceptance of myself,” she told PEOPLE. “I’ve used my pain and turned it into something that can be beautiful and hopefully inspiring to people.”
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