Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey may have been loved by millions of viewers during their time on Newlyweds, but behind-the-scenes, their relationship was hardly wedded bliss.
Simpson, who met Lachey when she was 18 years old, detailed the pair’s romance, reality TV days and divorce in her new memoir, Open Book, which was released on Tuesday, February 4. (The “I Do” singer recently told Us Weekly exclusively that he hasn’t read the book.)
“The thing about falling in love with someone in a boyband is that you’re not alone,” she wrote about first meeting the 98 Degrees singer. “There are a lot of girls out there who had already complied all the details on Nick Lachey.”
While the twosome briefly split before Lachey proposed in February 2002, they walked down the aisle that October.
“I was 22, and I had just pledged my life and destiny of this man. And I don’t regret it,” Simpson wrote about her wedding night. “Nick was meant to be my husband. No one else was supposed to have my virginity.”
The duo starred on MTV’s Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica for three seasons from 2003 to 2005.
“I wanted my marriage to look perfect. I didn’t mind if I looked dumb, but I wanted people to see the fairy tale in Nick. In us,” Simpson wrote about the reality series. “I had the Instagram-girlfriend syndrome before it was a thing, and I wanted the world to see my husband in the best light because I was hopelessly in love with him.”
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It didn’t take long for their marriage to crumble, however. In addition to Simpson’s career blowing up, their age difference and the reality show pressures, the fashion designer admitted she had an emotional affair toward the end of their relationship. Simpson and Lachey called it quits in November 2005 after three years of marriage.
For details of Simpson’s other notable relationships — John Mayer, Tony Romo, husband Eric Johnson — head over to Us Weekly’s second Open Book revelations gallery. Or scroll through for the biggest takeaways about Lachey:
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