Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson were one of Hollywood’s most beloved couples in the early 2000s. Their whirlwind romance, reality TV fame and high-profile split captivated fans—but it also left lasting marks on both stars.
After meeting at the Los Angeles, California, Hollywood Christmas parade in 1998, the two reconnected a month later and began dating. Two years later, they got married and even had a reality show entitled Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, which ran for three seasons. It all came to an end for Lachey and Simpson in November 2005, when the couple announced their split, leading to a divorce filed by Simpson in 2006.
Nick Lachey reflects on the pain of their divorce
And now, 18 years later, Lachey is opening up about how that whole experience was for him, saying that it left him with several metaphorical scars.
“I, too, was previously married, divorced, so I understand the hurt, the scars that exist from that,” Lachey said while co-hosting his Netflix reality show The Ultimatum.
In the conversation, Lachey was shown talking to a contestant on the reality TV show who was struggling with their past relationship.
He then told them, “Don’t let your past define your future,” before gushing about his current wife, Vanessa, with whom he co-hosts the show. “What I truly always wanted in my life, which was to have a beautiful marriage and a beautiful family; if I hadn’t retained my belief in that, I wouldn’t have ever realized the beautiful life I have with this woman.”
It is important to note that Lachey never officially said the comment was about Simpson. Still, since the singer is the only person he has ever been married to besides Vanessa, it is safe to assume that’s who he was referring to.
Why Did Nick and Jessica Split?
Despite their seemingly happy marriage, Lachey and Simpson’s relationship had several issues, including multiple highly televised fights that were watched and talked about by people all across the nation.
“[The press] put us as a trophy couple that we actually weren’t,” Simpson said. “With Nick, I was 22 years old when we got married… Once I started to get endorsement deals that were separate from him, there was a little bit of tension,”
Simpson then followed that statement by saying that despite their rocky ending, she is still very happy for her ex-husband.
“We both were at fault in a lot of things, but I’m happy for him now. He’s married with three beautiful children,” the singer said, “He took heartbreak and made it into something beautiful.”
“That’s what I did as well, but it took me longer to get there.”
Following their divorce, Lachey instantly moved on to his current wife, Vanessa, who he married in 2011. For Simpson, though, she didn’t tie the knot again until 2014 when she married Eric Johnson, with whom she now shares three children. Both couples are still together to this day.
Jessica Simpson on fame and marriage challenges
In addition to her rare public statements, Simpson did detail their relationship in her 2020 memoir, Open Book; however, most of it revolved around what filming their reality show was really like.
“You’d be shocked to hear that I have not nor will I ever read it,” Lachey said in 2021. “Obviously, I knew the book was coming out. I lived the book; I know what the truth is, so I don’t need to read it or read someone’s version of a story. I know it. I lived it. So no, I never read it.”
“I’m thrilled where I am in life, and that was 20 years ago, so it’s honestly the last thing on my mind these days unless someone brings it up,” Lachey continued in that same 2021 interview. “I understand why people want to ask, but it’s so not my life anymore that it’s not even on my radar.”
“She’s doing her thing; I’m doing mine, and that’s the way it should be.”
Life after divorce: Where are they now?
Both Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson have found lasting happiness since their divorce. Lachey married actress and TV host Vanessa Minnillo in 2011, and the couple now share three children: sons Camden and Phoenix and daughter Brooklyn. Together, they’ve built a strong family unit and co-host Netflix reality shows The Ultimatum and Love Is Blind.
Simpson, meanwhile, tied the knot with former NFL player Eric Johnson in 2014. The pair are proud parents to three kids: daughters Maxwell and Birdie and son Ace. Simpson has also thrived professionally, launching a successful billion-dollar fashion empire and sharing her life story in her memoir.
While their paths diverged, both stars seem to have turned heartbreak into thriving personal and professional lives, proving that life after divorce can lead to even greater happiness.
What do you remember most from Newlyweds? What is your favorite Nick and Jessica moment? Let us know in the comments below!
