Jessica Simpson Celebrates 4 Years Of Sobriety With Throwback Photo Of 'Unrecognizable Version Of Myself'

Jessica Simpson revisited her battle with alcoholism four years after getting sober by sharing a throwback photo that featured an "unrecognizable version" of herself.

The "I Wanna Love You Forever" songstress took to Instagram Monday to upload a photo showing her in a pink hoodie and sweatpants while sitting on a chair in a dark room with only a glimpse of the warm sun shining on her face. She accompanied it with a lengthy caption where she explained what she was going through at the time.

"This person in the early morning of Nov 1, 2017, is an unrecognizable version of myself. I had so much self-discovery to unlock and explore," she wrote. "I knew in this very moment I would allow myself to take back my light, show victory over my internal battle of self-respect, and brave this world with piercing clarity."

According to Simpson, at the time, she knew she had to stop drinking alcohol because it kept her mind and heart circling in the same direction and she already was feeling "exhausted."

She continued, "I wanted to feel the pain so I could carry it like a badge of honor. I wanted to live as a leader does and break cycles to advance forward — never looking back with regret and remorse over any choice I have made and would make for the rest of my time here within this beautiful world."

It has been four years since the photo was taken and for her, it felt like two. No matter what the time, she knew it was a "good thing" because she learned what she needed to change in her life. She accepted "failure, pain, brokenness, and self-sabotage." For her, there is a stigma around the word "alcoholism" or the label "alcoholic" but her issue at the time was more than drinking.

"I didn’t love myself. I didn’t respect my own power," Simpson noted. "Today, I do. I have made nice with the fears and I have accepted the parts of my life that are just sad. I own my personal power with soulful courage. I am wildly honest and comfortably open. I am free."

It wasn't the first time Simpson got candid about her alcohol struggles. In her memoir "Open Book," she shared that she decided to quit drinking for good after a hazy Halloween in 2017.

She also told Entertainment Tonight in 2020 that she was disappointed with herself but would still pour herself another drink because "I didn't know how I could make it through."

"I didn't know I could be strong enough without it, and really I'm way stronger without and I didn't realize. I thought that that was gonna me help me through life. I didn't know that it was keeping me from living my life," she added.