Jessica Simpson Shares How She Confronted and Forgave Her Abuser 8 Years Ago

Jessica Simpson suffered abuse as a child, but she chose to forgive her perpetrator. The singer has opened up about her encounter with the woman who sexually abused her when they were children.

Speaking on Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt's podcast, "The Gift of Forgiveness," the 40-year-old singer-turned-author revealed that she confronted her abuser eight years ago.

Simpson explained that the woman who abused her was also a victim of similar abuse at the hands of an older man.

The singer confronted the woman and told her that she knew of the abuse that the latter was also going through. She recalled telling her abuser:

"I just want you to know that I forgive you."

Simpson also told the woman that she would no longer live in denial of what happened between them. Her memoir, "Open Book," details the abuse inflicted on her by the daughter of a family friend.

The Jessica Simpson Collection designer wrote that she was abused from the age of 6 to 12, by a girl who was only a year older than her.

Her decision to confront her came from her desire to clear her conscience. She added: "I even sent her the book and I told her that I hope it brings healing."

The book was on New York Times' Bestsellers list for several weeks.

The confrontation happened after her divorce from her first husband, Nick Lachey. After their divorce was finalized in June 2006, she did much soul-searching.

She then came up with a decision to reach out to her childhood friend who abused her in order to move forward in life.

In an earlier interview on TODAY, the mother of three said that in those years she was abused, she knew something was wrong but that she didn't understand it. She added that her abuser was a person very close to her.

Simpson, who is married to former football player Eric Johnson, released her memoir last February, giving the public intimate knowledge of the struggles she has had in life.

Apart from the sexual abuse, the "I Wanna Love You Forever" singer also revealed details about her past struggles with alcoholism and her failed relationships.

The book was on New York Times' Bestsellers list for several weeks, a testament to Simpson's influence despite staying away from the spotlight in recent years.

Meanwhile, Simpson recently celebrated her 40th birthday and shared a photo of herself with a cake and flowers fashioned into the number 40.

The July 20 photo, which she shared with her over 5 million followers, shows the blonde beauty standing next to a table inside her gorgeous Calabasas, California home.