Ashlee Comes Home to Heal
Ashlee Simpson is feeling well enough to hop a plane home.
The I Am Me singer has returned to the United States from Japan to be
with her family, publicist Rob Shuter confirmed Monday to E! News.
Simpson was hospitalized in Tokyo on Thursday after she collapsed in an elevator following a performance at MTV Japan.
Jessica’s younger sis was in the middle of her song “Boyfriend,” when
she abruptly left the stage, while her band continued to play,
according to MTV. Much to the audience’s confusion, the band wrapped up
the song, then launched into their next number, still with no sign of
Simpson.
When she finally returned to the stage, she apologized to the crowd and
explained she was losing her voice and would have to pull the plug on
her performance.
She apparently proceeded to faint in the elevator and was subsequently
rushed to the hospital by ambulance, where she was placed on an IV,
according to her father, Joe Simpson.
The cause of her collapse was widely speculated to be exhaustion, though no official diagnosis was made public.
“She’s wanted to prove over and over to her fans that she can perform
live after what happened on SNL last year,” one source close to the
family told Us Weekly.
Simpson’s scheduled performance at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas Monday night was canceled.
Bo Bice was slated to take her place on the NBC special, but he too
fell prey to a mysterious ailment, which was said to be related to
surgery he underwent last summer, and was rushed to a Las Vegas
hospital on Sunday.
As a result, he pulled out of performing at the awards ceremony in
favor of returning home to Nashville to recuperate. The Goo Goo Dolls
were tapped to perform in his place.