Ashlee Simpson (Ashley Nicolle Ross-Næss, née Simpson; born October 3, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She is the younger sister of singer and actress Jessica Simpson. Simpson began her career as a back-up dancer for her sister and appeared in television commercials at the age of 15. She later pursued acting and held a main role in the television drama "7th Heaven". She gained additional exposure through the reality series "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica", which focused on her sister Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey and aired on MTV between 2003 and 2005. During this time, she also became the star of her own reality programme, "The Ashlee Simpson Show", which aired from 2004 to 2005. Her music career gained momentum with the release of her debut single "Pieces of Me" in 2004, which reached the top five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart. This success contributed to the popularity of her debut album "Autobiography", which also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over five million copies worldwide. In 2005, she played a leading role in the film "Undiscovered", which did not perform well either critically or commercially. That same year, Simpson released her second studio album "I Am Me", which also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Simpson later played the role of Roxie Hart in the West End production of "Chicago". She subsequently began work on her third studio album, which adopted a more dance-pop and 1980s-influenced style compared to her earlier pop-rock sound. The album, "Bittersweet World", was released in 2008 and received positive critical reviews but had lower commercial performance, peaking at number four on the Billboard 200. In 2009, she joined the cast of the revival of "Melrose Place", which was not well received by critics. That same year, she reprised the role of Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of "Chicago". In 2012, Simpson announced a fourth studio album and released the single "Bat for a Heart" independently, though it did not achieve commercial success. The album was later shelved as she shifted her focus toward family life. In July 2013, she again played Roxie Hart in a special two-date production at the Hollywood Bowl, directed by Brooke Shields. In October 2018, Simpson and her husband Evan Ross released a collaborative extended play titled "Ashlee + Evan" through Access Records. The release was accompanied by a limited North American tour and a reality television series of the same name. Studio albums: 2004: Autobiography 2005: I Am Me 2008: Bittersweet World