Netflix Acquires Jessica Simpson Documentary Directed by Joe Pearlman
Netflix has acquired a documentary feature about Jessica Simpson, with Joe Pearlman directing, according to Variety. The film promises fans a deeper look into Simpson's life and career across music, television, fashion and publishing.
Simpson has sold more than 20 million records and became a household name in the early 2000s fronting the MTV celebrity reality series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, which chronicled her marriage to Nick Lachey and ran for three seasons from 2003 through 2005. She later launched a fashion brand that reached a billion dollars in revenue and added New York Times bestselling author to her résumé with her 2020 memoir Open Book. In 2025, after a 15-year hiatus from original music, she returned with the EP releases Nashville Canyon: Part 1 & Part 2. She also guest-starred on the legal drama All's Fair, fronted by Kim Kardashian and Glenn Close, playing the wife of a rock star.
Pearlman brings a strong track record in music and celebrity documentaries. He directed Robbie Williams and Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now, both for Netflix, as well as Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts for HBO Max. His three-part documentary Mourinho, about former Chelsea soccer manager José Mourinho, arrived on Netflix earlier this month. Pearlman is a BAFTA, Emmy and Grammy-nominated film-maker.
The production team carries its own connection to Simpson's story. Van Toffler, who oversaw Newlyweds as head of MTV Networks, is producing the documentary through his company Gunpowder & Sky. Barry Barclay, Floris Bauer, Joanna Zwickel, Pearlman himself and Jonathan Silberberg serve as executive producers.
For fans, the pairing of Simpson's multi-decade career with a director who has specialised in intimate portraits of major pop and sports figures gives the project a clear creative shape. Netflix has not yet announced a release date.
