Jessica Simpson and Jeremy Renner’s flirtatious past and present - explained

Jessica Simpson is a single woman again, and it looks like she might have her sights set on Jeremy Renner. The 44-year-old has been showering the actor with love on social media - liking and commenting on his posts and even dedicating an Instagram Story to him, sharing how proud she is of his latest work. What’s interesting? These two sparked romance rumors 15 years ago, so it’s feeling like a full-circle moment.

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On Tuesday, Simpson shared a photo of Renner’s memoir My Next Breath, along with a glowing review. "I'm so deeply proud of my dear friend and perspective motivator, @jeremyrenner, for releasing his memoir, My Next Breath, with the world. If the vulnerability and truth within his audiobook doesn't make you cry or inspire you to live your life to the fullest, you are not human!"

© IG: @jessicasimpson

Though she called him a “dear friend,” the speculation hasn’t stopped - especially since Renner is also single. Fans are wondering: Are we about to witness a celebrity missed connection finally come to life?

Their 2010 past

Back in 2010, Jessica and Jeremy made headlines after reports claimed they were “flirting up a storm” at a pre-Oscars party for The Hurt Locker. But Renner was quick to downplay the rumors, telling Us Weekly, they only talked for three minutes. “Her hairstylist [Ken Paves] did my mom’s hair so we were talking about that, and then all of a sudden we’re dating!" he told the outlet. 

Still, later that year, they were spotted together again - this time at a D.C. hotel during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend, which only added more fuel to the fire.

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The headlines eventually fizzled, with Simpson going on to date and marry former NFL player Eric Johnson, and Renner being linked to several women over the years, including Canadian model Sonni Pacheco, whom he later married in 2014 and divorced in 2015. 

They both welcomed children with their former spouses, with Simpson sharing daughters, Maxwell and Birdie, and son, Ace, with Johnson. Renner shares one daughter, Ava Berlin Renner, with Pacheco. 

Their flirty 2025

Both are newly single again, and the comment section chemistry is hard to ignore. Simpson confirmed her split from Johnson in January 2025, and she’s been lighting up Renner’s Instagram ever since - dropping fire emojis on his shirtless gym videos and cheekily commenting on a video of him working out with his mom.

On one post, she wrote, “I love this oh my…Mama is STRONG… I need to go do sit ups now,” with a laughing emoji. Renner, for his part, has been liking her replies and recently popped up on her page to congratulate her on her new EP Nashville Canyon, Part 1, writing, “Congrats Jess" with two clapping emojis and a flame emoji. 

So... are we watching a rom-com in real time? We will have to wait and see if we are watching a slow-burn, comment-section flirtation that’s 15 years in the making.