14 DAY TRIAL // Jessica Simpson’s parents are officially single: their divorce has just been pronounced final, TMZ has learned. Tina and Joe were married for 34 years and speculation on what caused the split is still making the rounds.
The two announced they had separated in October last year, refusing to comment on the reason for the split.
The news took everyone by surprise, particularly because there had been no talk of marital problems before. Shortly afterwards though, word broke that Joe had been secretly gay all along and had even had a couple of long relationships.
“Jessica Simpson's parents are officially single and free to mingle... their divorce is final, TMZ has learned,” the celebrity e-zine writes.
It too notes the gay rumors still circulating online, and adds that neither Tina nor Joe would reveal what went wrong.
“Tina cited ‘discord or conflict of personalities’ when she hit Joe with the papers in Texas last year. […] Joe became angry after some media speculated he was gay and [he] fired back calling the reports ‘ridiculous’,” the same media outlet writes.
As these things usually go, Joe’s statement didn’t stop the rumors: as we also reported at the time, several media outlets tracked down a young aspiring model who claimed he had been Joe’s lover for years.
Reports said that he was only using Joe for fame and money, hoping that their relationship would boost his public profile and make him a star. That didn’t happen.
He did, however, tell the press how Joe broke the news to Tina and how she was completely devastated by it after 30 years as husband and wife.
Other reports said that daughters Ashlee and Jessica also took it pretty bad, with both turning their back on Joe because he’d lied to them for so many years.