If you’re a fan of reality television, you are more than likely familiar with Nick and Vanessa Lachey, Hollywood’s reality television power couple. The entertainment powerhouses have seen professional success and uber-publicized past relationships that ended in disaster.
These days, we love to see them appear side-by-side in interviews, giving us insight into their lives and families. As two experienced television hosts, they never disappoint in an interview, often captivating us with glimmers of their humor and wit.
Nick Lachey’s Journey to Fame
Originally from Ohio, Nick Lachey was a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. They released their first self-titled album (98°) in 1996. Following its re-release in 1997, it sold over half a million albums in the United States alone.
American pop and R&B vocal group 98° consists of Jeff Timmons, brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, and Justin Jeffre (Credit: WENN / Christina Radish)
Having been thrust into the spotlight, Nick found himself at The Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1998. There, his manager introduced him to another one of his up-and-coming talents, Jessica Simpson. Nick claims he was “looking through the crowds for her all night.”
Their relationship only heated up from there. The two singers collaborated on Jessica’s subsequent albums, including her first album, “Sweet Kisses.”
The pair were frequently spotted together, even buying condos in the same Los Angeles highrise. They also toured together, with Jessica performing as an opening act for 98 Degrees.
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey met at The Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1998 (Credit: WENN / Scott Harrison)
Nick and Jessica continued their on-and-off-again romance for years before Nick proposed to Jessica in 2002. They were wed in Austin in 2002, with 350 guests and a camera crew in attendance.
This would jumpstart both of their careers in reality television, as their nuptials were recorded and revealed for VH1’s “All Access Celebrity Weddings.” The footage was also earmarked for an episode of their later reality show on MTV, “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica.”
“Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica” went on to be a resounding professional success for the couple, but the camera-ready relationship may not have been what it seemed.
Lachey has been quoted as saying that Simpson’s close-knit and highly religious family weighed heavily on their marriage. While it hasn’t been indicated as directly leading to the demise of their marriage, it has been noted as a contributing factor by both parties.
Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson share a kiss at an event, showcasing their affection during their time as a high-profile couple (Credit: WENN / Scott Harrison)
The news of the decision to dissolve their marriage arrived abruptly in late 2005, with Nick strongly inferring that he felt blindsided. Jessica maintains that they had simply grown apart.
“It breaks my heart that I couldn’t make Jessica happy. I wanted to be everything to my wife,” Lachey told Rolling Stone in April 2006.
“I wanted her to look at me with love in her eyes, the way she did at the beginning, and have her feel like I was the most wonderful, awe-inspiring man on the planet. And when that stopped, it was the worst feeling in the world.”
Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson proudly pose with their People’s Choice Award, celebrating their success as a couple in the entertainment industry (Credit: Nikki Nelson / WENN)
“He is a good guy. And neither of us wanted to let anyone down, including ourselves,” Simpson revealed Glamour in August 2006. “I don’t have anything bad to say about him at all. I don’t. And I do have something to lose by talking about it.”
Lachey has been connected with celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Cheryl Burke and had a brief relationship with Holly Letchworth, a student at the University of Louisiana.
Jessica Simpson was romantically involved with Tony Romo and John Mayer before she met her now-husband Eric Johnson.
Vanessa Minnillo’s Career and Relationships
Vanessa Minnillo was born in the Philippines, and as part of a military family, she moved frequently throughout her childhood across the United States and Japan.
She first gained public attention at age 18 when she was crowned Miss Teen USA. In the years that followed, Vanessa appeared on various sitcoms and became a well-known host on MTV, particularly for her work on Total Request Live.
Named Miss Teen USA in 1998, Vanessa Joy Lachey (née Minnillo) is an American actress, beauty pageant titleholder, fashion model, and television host (Credit: LK / WENN)
Vanessa’s career on MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) spanned from 2003 to 2006, covering some of the time Nick Lachey’s solo career ignited following his work with 98 Degrees.
Miss Minillo has frequently appeared on soap operas, sitcoms, and game shows like Wipeout. She also collaborated on beauty products for Flirt! Cosmetics. She’s also graced the covers of several magazines, including Maxim, Parenting, Shape, and Lucky. Talk about range!
On a more personal note, Minnillo has been reported as having brief romantic connections with a small handful of celebrities, including actors Topher Grace and Orlando Bloom.
However, her rocky relationship with New York Yankee Derek Jeter lasted for the better part of three years.
Television host Vanessa Minnillo arrives at the 78th annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on March 5, 2006 (Credit: Nikki Nelson / WENN)
Vanessa Minnillo met Derek Jeter in 2003, and their relationship has been described as on-again-off-again. They finally pulled the plug officially in 2006 – the same year she would work closely with Nick Lachey.
Nick and Vanessa: How They First Crossed Paths
Nick and Vanessa met on the TRL (Total Request Live) set. Nick would frequent the set to promote new projects with 98 Degrees.
He even appeared in a scene where he sat between his then-wife, Jessica Simpson, and Vanessa. In this appearance, Nick called Jessica “the most beautiful woman in showbusiness.”
Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo first met during one of his many appearances on TRL (Credit: JFXimages / WENN)
Soon after the appearance, Nick and Jessica’s marriage came to an abrupt end. Nick’s solo album, “What’s Left of Me,” is said to capture his feelings about the divorce.
In a strange turn of events, the music video of the album’s title track cast none other than Miss Vanessa Minnillo as the female role.
During an interview, Vanessa commented on how revealing her wardrobe was for the video. Nick maintained that it was a dress, but Vanessa described the outfit as a skimpy tank top, selected by Nick himself!
During filming, the two became close after discovering they had both recently ended relationships. Nick had recently ended his marriage with Jessica Simpson, and Vanessa had recently called it quits with Derek Jeter. They also found that they shared the same birthday: November 9th!
Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo started dating in 2006 and took their romance public in December 2006 (Credit: Jody Cortes / WENN)
The couple revealed their first date was at a Hooters restaurant in Trenton, New Jersey. Nick found himself working in New Jersey, and Vanessa took the train from New York to meet with him. As luck would have it, their dining options were limited late at night, leading them to choose the wing joint.
Over the next year, Nick and Vanessa’s relationship evolved remotely. Sometimes, they spent hours on the phone and exchanged text messages. Nick was still based in Los Angeles, while Vanessa lived in New York to film Total Request Live with MTV at the time.
Once reunited face to face, they confirmed the spark smoldering at a distance for months.
Nick and Vanessa’s Private Island Wedding
The irony of Vanessa appearing in Nick’s music video about his divorce came full circle when Lachey proposed to Miss Minnillo in late 2010. On July 15, 2011, a small guest list of 35 individuals was treated to a secretive wedding.
The nuptials were filmed in true reality star form to create Nick and Vanessa’s Dream Wedding for TLC. The special aired in 2011, taking viewers on the journey of planning Nick and Vanessa’s wedding as the weeks counted down to the surprise.
Wedding guests were simply asked to dress in “island chic” garb, as the couple secretly bought plane tickets that would shuttle them to Sir Richard Branson’s very private Necker Island in the Caribbean for the occasion.
Nick and Vanessa Lachey pose together in stylish outfits at the Kentucky Derby, with Nick in a light gray suit and Vanessa wearing a chic black dress paired with a fascinator (Credit: C.Smith / WENN)
To ensure privacy, the couple chose a highly secluded location for their wedding and kept the destination secret from everyone, including family members. Nick was concerned that an innocent mention by a family member could reveal the location, so they decided to withhold the details from everyone to avoid any unwanted attention.
Mrs. Lachey stunned guests in a corseted ball gown by Monique Lhuillier on the big day.
Building a Family: Nick and Vanessa’s Children
Nick and Vanessa Lachey are proud parents of three children: Camden John, born on September 12, 2012, Brooklyn Elisabeth, born on January 5, 2015, and Phoenix Robert, born on December 24, 2016.
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As busy, prolific entertainers, they are still remarkably involved in parenting their children. It’s said that, at times, they’ll resort to rock-paper-scissors to settle disputes in the family and even about parenting.
The Lacheys’ Career and Family Balance
The Lacheys have continued to advance their careers in recent years. Nick has accumulated numerous filmography credits, including hosting popular reality shows like Love Is Blind. He has even returned to his musical roots by winning as a contestant on season five of The Masked Singer.
Vanessa has made the leap to the big screen in movies like Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Disaster Movie.
Nick Lachey in a Hugo Boss suit and Vanessa Lachey in a Steven Khalil dress, Kallati jewelry, Andrea Wazen shoes, and an Edie Parker clutch after the 2021 Emmy Awards on September 19, 2021, held at The Event Deck at L.A. Live in Los Angeles (Credit: Guillermo Proano / WENN)
She also continues to rock the small screen on sitcoms like 30 Rock and NCIS: Hawai’i and makes the most of hosting opportunities and interviews.
Nick and Vanessa competed against one another in Dancing with the Stars in season 25. They publicly joked that the competition led to friction at home. Neither progressed to the final round, but Vanessa remained on the show one week longer than her husband, Nick.
Nick and Vanessa Lachey: A Power Couple in Hollywood
We still occasionally see the couple appearing side by side on talk shows and interviews. While Nick is a little more reserved, Vanessa is very much a spitfire, revealing the sometimes steamy, sometimes unsexy side of their marriage and family life.
Nick and Vanessa Lachey on the red carpet at the 2018 Daytime Creative Arts Emmys (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)
These two are enchanting, and we love seeing Nick and Vanessa Lachey glowing together on screen. Their chemistry is real, and the proof lies in their 14-year relationship- somewhat unheard of in showbusiness!
We hope to see more of them and the potential star power of their entire family in the future!
Vanessa Lachey styled a simple black tank with a printed skirt (Credit: Brian To / WENN)
In August 2013, new mom Vanessa Lachey looked stunning at the FoxSummer TCA All-Star Party, earning her several public nominations for best dressed of the night. She was joined by her ‘Dads’ co-stars Brenda Song and Seth Green.
Vanessa gave birth to her son, Camden John Lachey, on September 12, 2012. She gained 65 pounds during her pregnancy and quickly lost all of it in preparation for her latest show, in which she also plays a mother.
Vanessa Lachey flaunts her legs in Jimmy Choo Lance leather sandals (Credit: Brian To / WENN)
“It’s actually a great balance because multi-cam television is the best job schedule,” the actress gushed, “it’s kind of like a nine to five.”
“I can wake up in the morning with him at 7:30, I can give him his bottle and breakfast, put down and go to work – and I’ll still be home to bathe him, sing to him, and put him down at night. That’s the best. I play a mom and I am one in real life!” Vanessa added.
Vanessa Lachey plays Camilla Whittemore in the American live-action sitcom Dads (Credit: Brian To / WENN)
Vanessa shares that their secret to a healthy relationship is honesty, stating that she loves the woman she becomes around her hubby.
(L-R) Vanessa Minnillo Lachey, Seth Green, and Brenda Song attend the FOX All-Star Party on August 1, 2013, in West Hollywood, California (Credit: Brian To / WENN)
The Filipino-American actress wore a Proenza Schouler skirt to the all-star event, pairing it with a structured black top and the much-coveted Jimmy Choo Lance sandals.
Vanessa secured her wavy locks to one side with a single braid – a look that could have turned ugly real quick but one that she could pull off. The exact skirt has yet to circulate cyberspace, but we did find a very similar one from the same designer:
Proenza Schouler Jacquard Mini Skirt, $990.00