AceShowbiz - Jessica Simpson, 44, ignited a flurry of concerns among fans after posting a video to her Instagram while en route to the 2025 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. The video, intended to give a casual update, instead drew questions regarding Simpson's "slurring" speech.

In the clip, she announced, "Hey everybody, it's Jessica Simpson. We just landed in Austin, and right now I'm going to wait in line at Enterprise. This is not an ad, but I'm getting a rental car."

Simpson, dressed in a striking blue faux fur jacket over a cheetah print outfit with silver accessories, seemed unaware that her speech pattern had fans questioning her sobriety status.

The speculation arose from comments pointing out that Simpson appeared to be "slurring" her words. Some fans even jokingly suggested she had a drink during the flight, despite Simpson's well-documented sobriety journey.

One fan commented, "Someone had a cocktail on the plane lol," while another reminisced, "Remember in Newlyweds when she spoke like a normal girl?"

Addressing a similar occurrence from 2022, Simpson firmly denied any relapse into drinking, asserting her dedication to sobriety, which she began in October 2017.

Simpson's struggle with alcohol addiction is no secret. The "Dukes of Hazzard" star has been open about how she was "killing herself with all the drinking and pills," but found a new sense of self and clarity after giving up alcohol.

In a poignant Instagram post from 2023, she shared an "unrecognizable" photo from the peak of her addiction with the caption, "This person in the early morning of Nov 1, 2017 is an unrecognizable version of myself." She emphasized that quitting alcohol allowed her to tackle traumas head-on and reclaim her self-respect.

Currently, Simpson is navigating her separation from husband Eric Johnson. She's channeling her experiences into her music, with a new EP titled "Nashville Canyon" set for release on March 21. The second part will follow in early summer 2025.

This comeback project includes a track called "Leave," which seemingly addresses her rocky marriage. The lyrics suggest infidelity, adding a raw and gritty narrative to her musical repertoire.