In a rare moment of public introspection, Eminem has opened up about his conflicted feelings over one of his most controversial music video moments — his 2009 portrayal of Jessica Simpson in the satirical video for “We Made You.” While the clip may have drawn laughs at the time, it’s clear the rapper has been carrying the weight of that creative decision ever since.
“I felt kinda conflicted doing the Jessica thing,” Eminem admitted, referring to casting someone to impersonate the pop star. “Because we were gonna have a Jessica in the video… But then Jessica got fat. And we wanted to stay within the current of what’s going on right now in pop culture.”
It’s a jarringly blunt statement, and yet beneath it, you can hear something deeper — the flicker of regret that comes from wondering if a joke was worth the sting. Eminem, long known for his sharp tongue and no-holds-barred approach to parody, acknowledges that this moment felt different, like holding onto a mistake that never quite stopped pressing against the conscience.
The Jessica Simpson portrayal, performed by internet personality Trisha Paytas, was a parody rooted in pop culture chaos. In the “We Made You” video, Paytas is dressed in Daisy Dukes, referencing Simpson’s Dukes of Hazzard role, and is shown eating a cheeseburger — a visual jab at Simpson’s weight gain, which had become unfair tabloid fodder at the time.
Despite the controversy, Paytas credits the role as the launchpad for her online career. “I will always be an icon thanks to this music video,” she recently posted. “Fourteen years later and it’s still going viral.” She’s also spoken warmly about Eminem’s behavior behind the scenes, saying he was kind, funny, and supportive during the shoot — even complimenting her by saying, “You look better than the real Jessica Simpson.”
The resurfacing of the video, now being widely circulated again on social media, comes at a time when Jessica Simpson has opened up about her own struggles. Now six years sober, Simpson recently revealed how she hit “rock bottom” in 2017, unable to care for her kids during a moment of extreme alcohol dependency. Her recovery story is one of strength and redemption, with the singer saying she has “no regrets” about her path to healing.
But for Eminem, the memory of mocking someone during one of their lowest moments seems to hit differently now. Known for self-reflection and brutal honesty in his music, the rapper’s comments about feeling “torn” reveal a man who, for all his swagger, still wrestles with the consequences of his punchlines.
It’s a rare peek behind the curtain for one of hip-hop’s most controversial and celebrated voices — proof that even the boldest artists sometimes question the shadows they leave behind.
As pop culture continues to evolve, and as public figures become more open about their mental health, addiction, and body image struggles, moments like these gain new weight. What was once seen as edgy or funny now often replays with a different tone — one shaped by empathy and hindsight.
And while “We Made You” remains part of Eminem’s legacy of biting satire, so too does this moment — where he looked back and admitted the laugh may have come at too high a cost.
Because sometimes, even icons feel the sting of their own lyrics.