People think Jessica Simpsons movie star blind item is Mark Wahlberg
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.
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