Ashlee Nicole Wentz (
née Simpson; born October 3, 1984
[2]), is an American
recording artist and
actress. Simpson, who is the younger sister of pop singer
Jessica Simpson, rose to prominence in mid-2004 through the success of her number-one
debut album Autobiography and the accompanying
reality series The Ashlee Simpson Show. Simpson received widespread notoriety when she attempted to lip-sync with a pre-recorded vocal track on
Saturday Night Live in October 2004.
Life and career
1984–2002: Early life and career beginnings
Simpson was born in Waco, Texas,[1] and raised in Richardson, Texas. She is the second daughter of Tina Ann (née Drew) and Joe Truett Simpson, a former Baptist youth minister who is now her manager. She attended Prairie Creek Elementary.[5] Simpson began studying classical ballet at the age of three. She eventually became an accomplished dancer and was admitted to the School of American Ballet in New York City at the age of 11, a year in advance.[6] Around that time, she suffered from an eating disorder; the condition lasted about six months, but her parents then stepped in and got her the help she needed to overcome the issue.[7] After her sister Jessica Simpson landed a record deal, the Simpson family decided to move to Los Angeles, California, where Ashlee began appearing in television commercials.[8]
