I love Jessica Simpson and I love that she gave us this excellent gossip gift this week. Jess wrote a short story for Amazon Original Stories, and her story has become the best blind item of the month. Basically, she met a “movie star” for the first time at the 2001 MTV VMA after-party – hosted by Jennifer Lopez at Man Ray – and the guy was flirting hard. Five years later, following her divorce from Nick Lachey, Jessica and the Movie Star reconnected and she was the side-chick for a while until she wised up. I went through the photos we have of the Man Ray party and my best guess (yesterday) was Liev Schreiber, who loves blondes and seems like he would definitely hit on Jessica. But hearing everyone’s guesses, I agree that Mark Wahlberg is a better option, probably even better than Leo DiCaprio. Everyone has sort of settled on Mark as the guy, including Page Six:
Jessica Simpson recently revealed that she fulfilled a “teenage fantasy” by hooking up with a “massive movie star” in a new “short and true story.” Since we here at Page Six can’t resist a juicy celebrity blind item — and Simpson penned a doozy — we’re taking our best guess.
The top contender based on clues given in Simpson’s tale, “Movie Star: They Always Say They’re Single,” is Mark Wahlberg. According to Simpson, now 42, she first met the mystery man at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards when she was on a break from her future ex-husband, Nick Lachey.
“He was undressing me with his eyes,” the singer told readers of the mystery man. Simpson noted that the mystery dude was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Wahlberg — who attended the show that year — wore jeans and a T-shirt.
Actors Will Smith, Will Ferrell, Andy Dick (who we immediately ruled out — sorry Andy!), Christopher Walken, Jamie Foxx and Johnny Knoxville (with whom Simpson has already publicly said she had an emotional affair) were also at the show.
Simpson said in the story that the anonymous actor knew her trainer. Ripped Wahlberg, now 51, is known for his workouts. In addition, the “Ted” star was already famous in 2001, and could’ve been a childhood crush of Simpson. Wahlberg – once known as Marky Mark who rapped with his Funky Bunch — famously posed for a shirtless Calvin Klein ad in 1992 with Kate Moss. In 1996, he played the lead opposite Reese Witherspoon in the hit thriller “Fear.”
Simpson wrote that she wound up meeting with the “massive movie star” again in 2006 at the Beverly Hills Hotel while he got ready for another big awards show. “He texted me throughout the awards show,” she said, explaining it was how she learned he wasn’t single. “Shortly after, I saw a photo of Movie Star on a red carpet with her. I was never ever in a million years going to be the other woman.”
I think the key to the blind item is that Jessica’s security guy/trainer already knew Mark, and that was the guy who introduced them. Like, I bet Liev Schreiber had a trainer too, but not someone who would run in Mark’s circles. Same with Leo. Mark was a movie star back then as well – consider his resume from 1994-2001: Fear, Boogie Nights, Three Kings, The Perfect Storm, and in 2001, he was in Planet of the Apes and Rock Star. Boogie Nights made him a really big deal, as did working with George Clooney on Three Kings AND The Perfect Storm. Plus, there were always rumors that Mark cheated on Rhea constantly. Also notable: when Mark was allegedly texting Jessica in 2006, Rhea was pregnant!
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I kind of said it yesterday but yeah, if it was Mark, then Jessica is painting herself in a kind light over this affair. A guy with a pregnant girlfriend and/or young children at home is a lot different than a guy whose previous relationship is “kind of winding down”.
I have a long comment below, lol, but that’s one of my hang ups. He had a second child with Rhea in 2006. How is that “kind of winding down” a relationship?
They didn’t get married for years after they had kids though right? So I can see him bullshitting other women on the truth of his relationship status.
I think @Frippery is saying that the relationship was NOT winding down. It would maybe feel different if it had been, but they were very much together.
It’s not a question of married or not married but of commitment. While Mark W. (if It was him) could absolutely have played her, she said she knew MegaMovieStar had a girlfriend. It’s one thing to hook up with a guy with a girlfriend he’s sort of slowly breaking up with, it’s another loaf of bread entirely to see a guy who has a toddler and a baby (or baby on the way) with this same girlfriend. That’s very different to me.
Yes Mark makes absolute sense. St that time he was pretty sleazy. Liev made zero sense. Also I think he’s more known as a tv star due to Ray Donovan.
No offense to Liev, but im the same age as Jess and there’s no way Liev was a teen crush at the time.
At any given time, he’s been pretty sleazy LOL. Won’t ever forgive his violent, racist attacks or ever accept his weird redemption arc.
Ewww. Y’all, I can’t stand this man. Leave it to JS deengee (I’m purposely misspelling that bc I don’t want y’all to read dingy and think I’m calling her dirty) ass to only have a problem with him being married. Violent racist is fine in her book. The nerve of him to be wearing a Marley tee like he didn’t relieve his boredom by throwing rocks at Black school children’s faces and heads. His “reformed” ass is also working on a project with Mel Gibson
@Steph thank you! He also blinded someone. Literally blinded him. I believe that man was Asian. He is an unrepentant racist and a very violent one at that.
Were those stories about his youth well known at that point? I don’t recall the stories from his past being talked about extensively until the 2010s, at least in the mainstream. He still always struck me as a douchebag, so I still think it reflects terrible taste on her part, but I can see her not being aware of that specific debacle at the time. (Or if she did, I’ll be frank that there’s a lot people tend to write off as youthful errors, which I get, even if you should be cautious doing so.)
In addition to the other reasons I believe it was Mark–he was huge in 2001 and was definitely more Mark Walburg the actor than Marky Mark–he is exactly the douchey type that Jessica would’ve grown up thinking “oh he’s so hot!” when he was running around with his hat on backwards and his Calvins on display.
Well yuck.
I’m going back and forth here. I definitely think she would have had a crush on him growing up, and I definitely think he’s the type to be sort of wishy-washy with relationships, in a “single but not really kind of way” so that someone like Jessica Simpson might not have realized she was the “other woman” for a while. So I think he fits all those boxes. Plus he was there, and the jeans and tshirt etc. and I can see his blend of a bad boy but still kind of all-american being appealing to her.
But, on the other hand, I just don’t think of him a massive mega star at that time. That’s the sticking point for me. She was very careful in her description of how massive a star he was, and that just wasn’t Wahlberg in 2001. Even with Planet of the Apes in 2001, there was kind of a sense of “well I guess we’ll see if he continues to be successful.” Boogie Nights and Rock Star (the latter of which grossed 19 million worldwide TOTAL) were nothing compared to Romeo and Juliet and Titanic. Like Wahlberg and DiCaprio weren’t even in the same league in terms of stardom. She also says he’s still a big star today, and I had to go look on IMDB to see what movies he’s made in the past 5 years.
But, this line doesn’t really make sense – “Like, I bet Liev Schreiber had a trainer too, but not someone who would run in Mark’s circles. Same with Leo.”
If the movie star was NOT Mark Wahlberg, then the trainer would not have to run in Mark’s circles. She said her trainer/bodyguard knew the Movie Star, not that the trainer knew Walhberg who knew the Movie Star.” IF this is not about Mark Wahlberg, then no one involved had to know Mark Wahlberg at the time.
so like I said i’m back and forth here.
My other issue is the age of Mark’s children. He had one in 2003, one in 2006, one in 2008 and one in 2010. Nothing about that seems to indicate that he’s available for a hookup in 2006. Like Jessica seemed surprised that he was still with his girlfriend, but why would she be that surprised if they just had a baby together? I know actors in hollywood can be POS in that regard but at least she would have known about the baby, right?
So on the one hand – his behavior fits, his 90s popularity fits, so I can see it being him. On the other hand, there are a few other things that are working against it being him. So I’m back and forth.
Did DiCaprio walk a red carpet in 2006 with a girlfriend?
I’m sure he did. Was it Bar in 2006, or still Giselle?
she also references talking with him as he got ready for a major award show. That fits more with someone like DiCaprio than Wahlberg (who did get nominated for the Departed, but the Oscars for that would have been 2007.)
I don’t know that it was DiCaprio, I just think there are others who fit the “massive movie star” descriptor a lot better than Wahlberg.
Some brief googling didn’t bring up any red carpet photos with Bar and he and Gisele broke up in 2005. I don’t think he typically walks red carpets with girlfriends, Gisele being the obvious exception.
I don’t think Mark is a huge star, but I can absolutely see Jessica Simpson thinking he is. It’s also possible she built him up in her head more than the rest of us because she had a thing with him. He definitely seems her type. And he went to the golden globes in 2006 and was photographed on the red carpet with his now wife.
You are looking from the outside. Inside the industry has very different standards of success. Mark Whalberg was (and is) someone who could get a major project financed, and thus a big star. From the outside, you only see the working actors. In LA, there are also the out of work actors in the mix, so the ones who people are pitching projects to, rather than having to audition, are considered major stars.
Trust me, I’m looking at it from a few angles here, not just the outside. And Jessica is writing this for non-industry insiders. I just don’t think it was Wahlberg. *shrug* people can have different opinions on this.
Do B list actors routinely get a million dollars for re-shoots? I can see Mark Wahlberg being a huge star in Jessica’s mind. This is the woman who says she thought she needed to keep one foot literally on a carpet. And it was the VMAs, not Oscars. Mark Wahlberg could easily clear a path at the VMAs.
That said, a kid at home makes the he just had a girlfriend I didn’t know about less fitting.
@Concern I agree. And as someone who was running in these Hollywood circles in the 2001-2005 timeframe, Mark Wahlberg was absolutely considered a big star.
I think Mark Wahlberg could have been considered a big star of that time since he’s always in some movie I wouldn’t expect him to be in (i.e The Departed — why?)
I could see Ben Affleck also being a potential candidate.
If the guy was a big star, i don’t know how you’d be dumb enough to believe he was about to dump his girlfriend though. Maybe Marky Mark fits, because I could see knowing less about his personal life than Ben Affleck’s. Still….google might have been a thing then. Maybe Jessica was deluding herself.
I agree with you Becks. I don’t think MM was super popular in 2001 that people would have made a huge effort to let him through the crowd. I think it was someone else. It’s also possible Jessica is misremembering what the guy wore or is deliberately tweaking the details so no one can say definitively who it is.
I will say these theories have been fun to read!
You aren’t looking at this from Jess’s point of view. To HER he was a major movie star who got his start in the music biz. Compare that to herself who was also a singer and wannabe actress. His success would have been massive to her. And if he wasn’t married, then maybe she considered him available. Plus, it must be said, that she is not the sharpest tool in the shed.
She’s probably kind of retroactively referring to him as a “huge” movie star. He WAS big at the time.—“Boogie Nights” and especially “The Perfect Storm” were big hits, and he starred in them, as well as some other pretty big movies prior to her meeting him in 2001. Probably at the time she had a crush on him while growing up, it was as his Marky-Mark persona, and then maybe because of the movie “Fear”. So anyway, she’s calling him a “huge” movie star because that’s ultimately what he became, even though back when she met him he might’ve only been a “big” movie star. I definitely think it’s Mark.
Even though MW had a kid and another one on the way, it’s possible that he could have convinced Jessica that the relationship was winding down, and she would have wanted to believe him. He didn’t get married to Rhea until many years later, and I could see Jessica thinking “Well, he hasn’t married her yet, he’s still available!”
It might not have been public knowledge that Rhea was pregnant until she walked the red carpet with Mark, which IMO would explain Jessica’s reaction – you really couldn’t ask for a more visible sign that the relationship was, in fact, far from over.
I’m thoroughly enjoying being an internet gossip detective!
I agree with this theory.
The kid was born in March 2006 though, and if we think the red carpet was the golden globes or Oscars, those would have been prior to March 2006. So not a lot of time in 2006, and when was her divorce finalized? I googled and it says they separated in 2005 but this sounds like it was after the divorce itself was finalized, which was 2006, right?
Honestly my guess is that she’s kind of fudging some of the things here, including the timeline, so that its not as obvious to guess.
I would love for her to come out in a year and say something like “surprise everyone! It was Matt Damon!” or someone else that NO ONE is suggesting LOL.
This must be a generational thing because as an early baby boomer, I would never consider Mark Wahlberg “a massive movie star”. At no time. And he’s not very good looking, IMHO. I guess I’m alone in this.
I would not either. Like I said above, thats one of my big hang ups here. I’m roughly Jessica’s age.
I have personally never thought of him as a great actor. I was a teenager in the 90’s and even then, I remember rolling my eyes really hard at his whole Marky Mark persona. Even just that name was stupid as heck to me. I rolled my eyes even harder when he was suddenly “a serious actor” (I mentioned in yesterday’s thread that I remember Eminem taking jabs at his Marky era on TRL and it was hilarious watching him steam over it). But there is no denying, despite my low opinion of him, he was very big in the very early 2000’s. It was Boogie Nights that did it. It wasn’t necessarily about his acting, it was just that he was the It guy there for a little while.
Clueless came out in 1995, when JSim would have been in middle or high school. Marky Mark and his busy pants dropping schedule, indeed.
On board with the Mark Wahlberg guess. You’re correct L84Tea. Boogie Nights really opened things up for him. Per this Hollywood Reporter article/timeline, Boogie Nights launched him to A-list. The timeline doesn’t show The Perfect Storm. That came out in 2000. He was one of the leads with Clooney. That movie went on to make over $328 million worldwide.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/mark-wahlberg-career-timeline-26023/
Idk for what generation? Gen X maybe? Because I’m a late millennial and I barely know who he is…
I’m 2 years younger than Jessica and have never been able to stand MM but he absolutely was considered a massive star in this era. He was the lead or co-lead in huge movies. He was a teen movie star before that, and a model and musical artist before that.
I think it’s him. I didn’t know about Rhea in that era either, no one ever really talked about her.
You’re not alone. I agree with everything you said, and I’m Gen X.
Also, he’s a mega douche.
Glad it’s not just me. I was afraid my old age was showing.
ita – doesnt she say he’s still a big movie star? is she trying to flex by saying this or is it someone else who is actually a big star?
Lol this comment is so funny and so shady to Jessica and marky mark
Yes, she did say he’s still a movie star. That’s my problem with the MM angle. Do we really consider him an actual movie star NOW? He mostly does dorky dad movies now.
I am Gen X and I would certainly consider Mark Walberg a big movie star. Boogie Nights (1997) and the Perfect Storm (2000) really launched him into that category, but he had that “hot” persona from his days as Marky Mark, and being a Calvin Klein underwear model with Kate Moss. I can def see Simpson crushing on him, as Marky Mark growing up. Walberg makes a lot of sense to me.
He has gone on to do some good movies IMO – The Departed (a personal fav of mine), The Fighter. He is a bankable star for sure.
I’m not saying he’s not a movie star and certainly “bankable”. It’s the adjective “massive” that throws me. Supposedly, he remains massive to this day. If he ever was, MW is not a “massive” star in movies in 2023. I guess it all depends on the meaning of “massive”. I would say it means “known to the masses”. But there are people who wouldn’t recognize MW if they tripped over him.
He was my guess yesterday, and all the clues seem to fit.
It’s Leo (or Matt Damon.) Both were huge stars then and now. I just don’t buy Mark Walberg at all. Leo’s been a “heartthrob” since the 90s. He would have 100% been a crush for Jessica during those years she was growing up. He was Red Sea parting famous from 97 on. He’s making Gangs of NY in 02 and The Departed in 06. Unless he wasn’t there it’s 100% him.
I haven’t been able to find any pics of him and I looked through about 50 pages of google photos. Plus, would he have worn jeans and a t shirt to that event? That’s why I don’t buy it could be Clooney. He would be better dressed.
I see a lot of Matt Damon guesses but he wasn’t especially famous until like 97 when Good Will Hunting came out. So Jessica wouldn’t have grown up thinking he was hot….. Unless she was a big fan of like, School Ties. Which, with School Ties, Brendan Fraser is *right there* if you’re going to crush on someone.
Sidenote, I LOVE that movie and it was when I first saw Chris O’Donnell and I am still a little in love with Chris O’Donnell.
For me the movie that made Matt Damon incredibly famous was The Bourne Identity and that didn’t come out until 2002. I know he was in a bunch of stuff prior to this but as he didn’t really rise to national prominence until 1997 with Good Will Hunting and Ben Affleck so I wouldn’t consider him a huge 90s star, more late 90s-early 2000s.
Matt Damon won an Oscar with Ben for Good Will Hunting.
And his dating history was news at the time (i.e Minnie Driver, Winona Ryder, etc).
By the late 90s he was a big star.
I feel like Jess isn’t Leo’s type though, she’s short and curvy and he only dates models.
But this seems like it was more of a clandestine hook up than “dating.” so I don’t think it especially matters what someone’s public dating “type” is/was, you know? Maybe Leo liked his reputation as the man who only dates hot models and he thought Jessica was a step down for him or something. Same with someone like Clooney or Matt Damon or whoever.
I can’t believe we made this a two day story, lol. But it’s perfect for some relatively harmless speculation, and it’s Friday, so let’s do it!
I agree with the Wahlberg theory – he definitely seems like her type, and he was huge in the 90’s. While you and I might not think of him as an “A- list star”, relative to Jessica, he might be. And his movies make a surprisingly large amount of $$$ even today.
My biggest sticking point with picturing either Leo or Tom Cruise in this story is purely instinct – I don’t really see either of them “turning on the charm” in the way Jessica described. Both Tom and Leo seem much more likely to go through an intermediary rather than chat someone up directly. Especially Leo – he doesn’t seem like one for chasing, you know? Now Will Smith I could see being charming, but I think he was married at this point, and Jessica specifically refers to a girlfriend.
I also sort of doubt either Tom or Leo would have known who Jessica was in 2001, but Mark might have. Remember supposedly when the trainer/bodyguard introduced Jessica, the mystery movie star said he already knew who she was. Mark was still regularly appearing on MTV and would still have connections in pop music, especially when it came to young, pretty, up and comers like Jessica.
I rest my case, lol!
Tom Cruise turns on the charm with everyone though? Despite his Scientology ties, he is incredibly charismatic and enthusiastic, almost to a creepy degree (which is why I find him so terrifying). You look at interviews pre-Katie Holmes when he was more low key about Scientology, the man is just oozing charm. He held Kate Middleton’s hand at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere when she went up the stairs. He flirts with everyone.
LOL @Jay. Agree. Tom C. doesn’t make sense for a number of reasons. He was jumping on O’s couch in May 2005 for Katie. October 2005? it was announced they were expecting. Their togetherness were headlines ad infinitum for a long time. (Katie was not called an on-again-off-again girlfriend like Rhea D was referred to as)
In 2006, Jessica would be going on 26. That’s past Leo’s best by date.
The kicker is the whole religious angle. That he felt ‘sinful’ and wanted to ‘repent’. Definitely NOT Leo, Brad, et al. Mark is a Catholic. That totally tracks.
Her trainer was/is Harley Pasternak. Don Carmody produced films and had HP work with Carveizel on Angel Eyes with Lopez. Carmody produced 3000 Miles to Graceland maybe Costner (who was between marriages in 2001)? BUT HP worked on Tru Calling with Jason Priestley, also between marriages in 2001. HP & JP are both Canadians and JP seems to have an affinity to his countrymen in Hollywood. I’m thinking JP. He’s very much a tee & jeans guy and she grew up watching him like we all did.
I don’t see Jason described as a big movie star ever.
Kevin Costner was a massive star in 2001 but I don’t know if you’d still call him that today. He is still a list though. He’s also 25 years older than Jessica. Would she have hooked up with someone that much older than her? Would he have known who she was before being introduced?
Kevin Costner is still a massive star and playing a huge role on Yellowstone, a TV show with massive following and 2 or 3 spin offs? He is not a has been by any means, so there is no past tense lol. But I don’t think he’s the guy either.
You guys! Kevin Costner – I worked at a place that was loaded with celeb clients around 1994-95 and he came in and did the whole undressing with eyes/flirting with an Australian gal that looked like Jessica (but was about 25lbs heavier). She bragged then next day that they got together…pretty sure he was married or about to get divorced at the time. He had a pack of kids…
Kevin Costner and his first wife divorced in ’94. He had 3 children with her. One with Bridget Rooney -1996. Then 3 with Christine Baumgartner (his wife) who he married in 2004. Christine was his wife in ‘2006, not a girlfriend.
Anyone doubting it was Marky Mark needs to wake up & the “2006 Award Show” Mark was “getting ready for at the Beverly Hills Hotel” was the Golden Globes which he attended with Rhea who was very pregnant at the time.
He mentioned in his red carpet at the Beverly Hilton where the award show took place in an interview that he was getting ready for the show at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
How do people not remember what a scum bag this dude was? I can’t wait for all the others to come out and remind us how much MM stepped out on Rhea. Did his Oscar campaigns really fool people that much?
I remember there being a lot of blinds about Mark and Rhea in the early aughts and it sounded like a very chaotic relationship. They obviously settled down but I could definitely see this being about Mark. Especially since he does give cheater vibes.
Marky Mark had some tingling funky bunch for our girl, Jess. I’d bet 20 bucks on it and I don’t even gamble…
I like Jessica Simpson but I have to side eye here this is second well known Racist men she hook up with .
I agree with you Becks on all points. I thought it could be Leo but read on deuxmoi that it was Ben Affleck.
Maybe the deuxmoi posters/writers don’t know that Garner and Affleck married in June 2005.
I initially thought Tom Cruise, but after reading all the comments. First off, amazing sleuthing! Secondly, I think Mark Wahlburg makes sense with the religious connections with ‘repent’ and ‘sin’ (I stole this from a comment above). They both seem like knobs, she was fortunate not to get tied up long term with either egotistical maniacs.
Brad Pitt, Leo, or Johnny Depp are the best options Maybe even Keanu Reeves!?
If he had kids with the girlfriend, I’m wondering why Jessica Simpson would admit to this affair. That makes the affair sound worse than how she made it sound. Or it makes her seem kind of dense.