During a recent episode of her podcast, Amy Earnhardt revisited an unexpected moment from the early days of her relationship with NASCAR sports legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., sparking fresh discussion in the world of Dale Earnhardt Jr. marriage news. The incident, which took place at a racetrack in the late 2000s, involved a playful yet emotionally charged rumor about pop star Jessica Simpson dreaming of marrying Dale Jr.
The Surprising Connection Between Amy Earnhardt and Jessica Simpson
Amy Earnhardt recalled her excitement about possibly meeting Jessica Simpson, as both women share Texas roots and are close in age. During those early days, Amy found herself visiting Daytona to spend time with Dale while still living in Jacksonville. The rumor began when Amy learned that Jessica Simpson was present at the racetrack. Amy admitted her admiration for the pop star, saying she was,
“kind of a fan of hers.”
As Amy recounted on her Bless Your ‘Hardt podcast, she approached Dale Jr. with a request to meet Simpson:
“It’s 2008, maybe [2009]. We had just started dating, and I think I’m still living in Jacksonville, but I come up to Daytona to hang out with Dale. And I hear that Jessica Simpson’s at the racetrack. We’re the same age. We both came from Texas, so I’ve always kind of been a fan of hers,”
Amy recalled. — Amy Earnhardt, Podcast Host
Her hopes to meet Jessica Simpson were quickly dimmed, however, when Dale Jr. expressed reservations about the idea.
“And I’m like, ‘Hey, Dale, do you think that you could get Jessica Simpson to come to the bus so I could meet her?’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t think that’d be a really good idea.’ And I was like, ‘Why not?’”
— Amy Earnhardt, Podcast Host
The reason became clear after Dale Jr. revealed a clip of Simpson recounting an unusual dream where she and Dale Jr. tied the knot in a treehouse:
“And he shows me this clip … of her doing an interview earlier that day, how she had had a dream that she and Dale Jr. got married in a treehouse.”
— Amy Earnhardt, Podcast Host
The Impact of the Dream on Amy Earnhardt
Amy Earnhardt’s reaction to the interview was both protective and good-humored. She remembers telling Dale Jr.,
“And I’m like, ‘Yeah… don’t bring that b—- over here. It’s a good idea,”
— Amy Earnhardt, Podcast Host
The encounter left a lingering effect on Amy, who remarked she never purchased any items from Jessica Simpson’s collection after that day. She joked about her conviction that Simpson’s intentions were more than innocent, reflecting,
“I haven’t bought a Jessica Simpson shoe or a bag — you know, how she’s got all the things — ever since then. I was like, she was f—ing trying to fish my man … Yes, she was. She knew exactly what she was doing.”
— Amy Earnhardt, Podcast Host
Jessica Simpson’s Life After the Alleged Incident
The near-encounter between Amy and Jessica Simpson happened when Simpson was on the rise as a pop star. Shortly after, Simpson met former NFL player Eric Johnson in May 2010. They became engaged within six months, marrying in 2014 after welcoming their first two children, Maxwell and Ace. Their daughter Birdie was born in 2019, further cementing their family life.
However, by November 2024, reports emerged that Eric Johnson was seen without his wedding band while Simpson channeled her energies into reviving her music career. According to a source cited during this period, the couple’s routines had grown increasingly separate:
“She’s working on music and splits her time between Los Angeles and Nashville. Eric spends all of his time in LA, where the kids go to school,”
— Source, People
Another source comment added,
“Jess and Eric very much live separate lives.”
— Unattributed
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amy’s Life Together
Despite the playful tension sparked by the Simpson rumor, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amy Earnhardt’s relationship endured and flourished. The couple married in 2016 and now share two daughters, Isla and Nicole. Their public appearances, including at events like the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards in Nashville’s Music City Center, have cemented their status as one of NASCAR’s notable families.
What the Rumor Reveals About Celebrity Life
The story of Jessica Simpson’s dream about marrying Dale Earnhardt Jr. now stands as an anecdote about the challenges and lighthearted twists faced by public figures. As both women went on to navigate their careers and families—Simpson dividing time between Los Angeles and Nashville, and Amy and Dale Jr. raising their daughters—the incident remains a quirky chapter in the personal histories of these celebrities. For fans of NASCAR, music, or celebrity culture, it serves as a reminder of the unpredictable intersections that fame can create, even among those who may never cross paths in real life.
