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We’ve haven’t heard much about Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey since their split in 2005, but the Newlyweds legacy lives on! At the height of their music careers, the two pop stars launched to higher levels of fame when they became a celebrity couple. Eventually, their love-hate relationship made reality TV and tabloid history.
Let’s take it back to the beginning. Get comfortable as we review the complete history of Jess and Nick’s best and worst moments together!
RELATED: Jessica Simpson has given birth to a baby girl!
Before Newlyweds
Growing up, Texas-born Jessica showcased her musical talent singing in church. She auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club when she was 11, but didn’t make it to the finals with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. She continued pursuing her passion and was managed by her father when she began working on her debut studio album in 1998.
Born in Kentucky and raised in Ohio, Nick started out by professionally singing at an amusement park in the mid-90s. In 1997, he made his debut as the frontman for 98 Degrees, alongside his brother and two friends. The popular boyband’s albums eventually went multi-platinum and produced hits that rivalled Nsync and the Backstreet Boys.
A True Hollywood Love Story
It all began when they met at the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1998. Shortly after, they were spotted together looking madly in love at a Teen People Choice party.
Four years of dating and a brief break up later, they officially tied the knot in 2002. The elaborate wedding was filmed and made its debut on the first episode of MTV’s Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica.
For Better Or For Worse
Newlyweds was the pop culture phenomenon that propelled Nick and Jessica to A-list stardom. The show lasted three seasons from 2003-2005 with a spin-off called the Nick and Jessica Variety Hour in 2004. It’s reported that they earned an estimated $36-million together during their marriage.
Is It Chicken Or Fish?
The show was full of cringe-worthy hilarity and we couldn’t stop watching! The most iconic scene of Newlyweds came in the form of canned tuna. Jessica’s ditzy ‘chicken of the sea’ comment left Nick, and all of us viewers, totally speechless.
House Of Horrors
Newlyweds Nick and Jessica didn’t seem to know what they were getting themselves into. They had zero experience living together and it showed. With each episode, you couldn’t help but watch the awkward passive-aggressive tension grow. They could barely agree on anything!
From Wedding Bells To Red Flags
As Newlyweds came to an end, so did their strained love affair. After being married for three years, they split up in 2005 and finalised their divorce in 2006. There were cheating allegations involving both parties but Jess and Nick have denied the rumours.
Without a prenup, Nick ended up walking away with a massive $12-million from the settlement. Jessica later admitted in interviews that her first marriage was probably the biggest money mistake of her life. Nick looks back and shared that the lines between their private reality and public personas became very blurry.
Time To Face The Music
They hardly got along but at least they shared a common love for music! Jess openly revealed that Nick was her inspiration for the album In This Skin, among other singles. Although things ended bitterly, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey made lots of sweet music together. It’s about to get real nostalgic up in here:
‘Take My Breath Away’
This song from the film Top Gun was close to Jessica’s heart because it was the soundtrack of her and Nick’s relationship. It meant so much to her that she even made her own cover of the 80’s hit!
‘With You’
This playful song is self-explanatory and was filmed during the shooting of Newlyweds. She even makes references to her canned tuna in some of the scenes!
‘The Sweetest Sin’
Coming from a religious family, she made a purity vow to wait until marriage. True to her word, this song is literally about Jess losing her virginity to Nick.
‘This I Swear’
Everyone remembers the theme song from Newlyweds. The lyrics are as sweet as wedding vows, but it took more than just promises to keep them in love.
‘Where You Are’
This romantic ballad has lots of PDA in the music video. In the video, Nick and Jess are passionately singing a duet together while hugging and smooching.
‘What’s Left Of Me’
Released fresh after their divorce, Nick’s song expresses the pain he felt having nothing left in his relationship with Jessica. Fun fact: the leading lady in the music video ends up becoming Nick’s wife-to-be!
They’ve Moved On
As controversial as it was, parting ways seems to have been the best decision for both Nick and Jessica. The two were picture-perfect but being under the public eye came at the cost of their marriage. It looks like they’ve learned from the past and started new chapters with their own families.
Jessica is now happily married with three kids to former NFL player Eric Johnson. Nick married former MTV VJ and TRL host Vannessa Minnillo and together, also have three children.
Conclusion
The cameras have stopped rolling and maybe we should start moving on too – but not until we’ve read Jessica’s upcoming book! Something tells us that she’ll be divulging some memoirs from her infamous times with ex-husband Nick. In the meantime, we’ll stay tuned!
RELATED: Nick Lachey welcomes baby: You won’t believe the name!
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