Jessica Simpson's 3 Kids: All About Maxwell, Ace and Birdie

Jessica Simpson has been in the spotlight since she was a child herself, but her outlook on life has changed since becoming a mother.

"Becoming a mom has helped me realize I'm actually proud of myself for a lot of the things I have done in my life," she shared in October 2013. "Having my kids has made me feel so much more at peace with myself."

Simpson and her husband Eric Johnson are the proud parents of three kids: Maxwell "Maxi" Drew, 12, Ace Knute, 11, and Birdie Mae, 5. Over the years, the singer and fashion designer has been open about the positive impact her family has had on her life.

During a March 2020 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Simpson revealed that her children served as her main motivation to get sober. "I was at a place where I was literally spiraling with the alcohol and I was missing out on moments with my children, and then they were seeing me and they were very confused," she shared. "I just wanted to be present and have clarity and be a good role model for my children."

While her kids are "growing up so fast," the mother of three appreciates the little moments. "When I hear my kids cackle, it's the most healing sound," Simpson told Shape in January 2021. "It's contagious — my whole family starts giggling together, and it's like some form of happy laughing therapy."

As for what she hopes to teach them, she told the outlet, "More than anything, I want to teach them morals and values and to keep them safe but not afraid."

The three kids have made frequent appearances on Simpson's Instagram feed, including snaps from a recent outdoor adventure in April 2023. One picture featured the mom-of-three and Maxwell standing in front of stacks of hay bales while another showed the three siblings posing on the beach together.

Keep reading for everything there is to know about Jessica Simpson's three kids.

Maxwell Drew Johnson, 12

Simpson and Johnson's first child, daughter Maxwell "Maxi" Drew Johnson, was born on May 1, 2012. Simpson had announced her first pregnancy on Halloween in October 2011, dressing up as a mummy and writing on Twitter, "It's true – I'm going to be a mummy!"

Simpson has shared that her eldest has always been confident and full of self-love, something she picked up from her mother. "I don't think it's something that I taught other than the way I walked in my life and the example that I [set]," she told PEOPLE in April 2022. "It's not really about what I say. It's more about what I do."

She added, "I think that when she sees me happy and confident, that's all that really matters to your children is that they see you loving yourself, and [then] it's easy for them to love themselves."

Maxwell turned 10 years old in May 2022, and her mother shared a heartfelt tribute to her firstborn on Instagram to celebrate the milestone. "She is a leader without ego, a bleeding heart that inspires and loves deeply and forever. She is drop dead gorgeous, funny, empathetic, spacial, loyal, artistic, compassionate, drama-free, timely, hopeful, understanding, creative, athletic, thought provoking, ahead of the curve, resilient, and prayerful," Simpson wrote alongside a photo of Maxwell laying in a bed full of Squishmallows.

Maxwell later celebrated her birthday with her close friend, North West (the daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West). Maxwell and North are also on the same basketball team, coached by Maxwell's dad. The two girls reunited for another celebration in June for North's birthday glamping weekend — which also served as Maxwell's "first camp sleep away trip," as Simpson wrote on Instagram. "I'm comin' next time!" the Dukes of Hazzard star added in her post, thanking Kardashian for "giving Maxwell the time of her life."

While Simpson's eldest is still too young to be on social media herself, she often makes appearances on her mom's accounts — even as a photographer. The singer once shared a photo of herself on Instagram modeling a personalized necklace from her Jessica Simpson Style collection, revealing in the caption that Maxwell was actually behind the camera.

When she is not photographing her mom or hanging out with her friends, Maxwell enjoys volunteering with animals. In December 2022, Simpson shared a photo of her daughter dropping off donations at their local animal shelter.

"Yesterday, Maxwell came home after visiting @animalrescueah and decided to make dog, cat, and rabbit treats for the whole gang! She then insisted we drop them off with some beds and toys so they could enjoy the spirit of Christmas the way she does," the proud mom wrote in the caption.

In March 2023, Maxwell made an appearance on the Home Shopping Network with her mom and grandmother, Tina Simpson. Simpson was promoting her latest fashion line and made it a "fashion family affair," as she shared on Instagram.

Ace Knute Johnson, 11

Ace Knute Johnson, the couple's only son, was born on June 30, 2013. Simpson had initially planned to keep the sex of her second baby a secret, but she accidentally revealed that she was expecting a boy during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

The star later told PEOPLE she was looking forward to adding a boy to the family. "I'm so excited to have a son," she said. "I didn't grow up with a brother and I think the unknown is really exciting. I can't wait to have that connection with our little man."

Their little man has become quite the baseball star, just as Simpson predicted he would be. "When Ace was in my belly I told everyone and anyone who'd listen that he would dominate a baseball field when he was old enough and would more than likely never ever end up putting the bat down … so far my intuition was correct," she wrote on Twitter in May 2021.

The following month, Simpson shared a black-and-white photo of Ace on the pitcher's mound to celebrate her son's championship win. "My baseball stud won the championships with hitting a home run against an undefeated team at the end of the ballgame. He told me that he saved that hit for that moment so the team was caught off guard. Now that is athlete mentality if I do say so myself...and he is only 7," she captioned the post.

When he's not on the field, he's busy with school. In August 2022, Simpson shared photos of his and older sister Maxwell's first day of school on Instagram. "Growin' up and ownin' it," she captioned a photo of the sibling duo posing in matching uniforms.

Ace is also close with his younger sister Birdie. "My son and her are like BFFs! The cutest. When Birdie is laughing, like cackling, that is a contagious thing throughout the family. Her first word was 'Ace,' " Simpson told PEOPLE in September 2020.

Birdie Mae Johnson, 5

Simpson and Johnson's third child, Birdie Mae Johnson, was born on March 19, 2019. After having her first two children, Simpson shared that she was not planning on having a third child. However, she surprised fans in 2018 with the announcement of her third pregnancy.

While pregnant with Birdie, Simpson was hospitalized due to a severe case of bronchitis, which required her to be put on a breathing machine and affected Birdie's health.

"Her [Birdie] oxygen levels were dropping. I couldn't breathe," Simpson recalled of the experience. "I was 260 pounds. She was a very big baby. We were like, 'Just take her out.' "

Simpson's doctors were able to stabilize her daughter and Simpson later gave birth to Birdie via cesarean section.

Even at such a young age, Birdie already has a bold personality. When she was 2 years old, she demanded her parents enroll her in preschool. "Little Miss Birdie is the BOSS," Simpson wrote in a September 2021 Instagram post. "She says 'I want school right now please' We say 'Ummm you are only 2 Bird' She says 'I want my teacher.' "

Birdie has her own sense of style too, taking after her fashion designer mom in that sense. Simpson has shared several photos of outfits Birdie picked out herself, including a silly look involving a yellow tutu dress and a hockey stick, as well as a colorful rainy-day outfit.

The little girl takes after her mom in another way, too: She seems to have inherited Simpson's singing talents. On March 16, 2023, the pop star shared a series of photos on Instagram from what appeared to be a party for Birdie's birthday. She included a snap of herself holding Birdie as both smiled for the camera.

"Birdie girl is my loud belting beauty with a set of set of lungs and a vocal box that could quite possibly bust mics and speakers," Simpson captioned the post. "Very familiar if I do say so myself 😜."

A few days later, the mom-of-three shared photos from Birdie's official fourth birthday bash. The unicorn-themed party featured candy and face-painting stations as well as a unicorn-shaped cake and balloons.

"This adorable wonder of a unicorn kiddo illuminates every color in the rainbow. Birdie magically makes us laugh AT ALL TIMES capturing attention from EVERYONE!" Simpson wrote on Instagram. "She is uniquely and effortlessly herself. This little lady celebrates and twirls through her life in tutus with a pure unique understanding in her soul of glitter sparkles. We love her SO VERY MUCH and she knows it. Birdie is a symphony of STARDUST and born to SHINE."

In June 2023, Simpson shared photos on Instagram of Birdie snacking and drawing by a creek. The little girl looked cute wearing a pink t-shirt, denim shorts and her hair in braids. "A cutie that loves herself the creek," the proud mom captioned the post.