Vanessa Lachey Reveals How Nick's Ugly Divorce From Jessica Simpson Affected Their Early Romance
Vanessa and Nick Lachey have teamed up as a couple for yet another reality television series, "The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On," which debuted on Netflix on April 6. The concept for this reality show is fascinating. It follows six couples as they decide if getting married is the right next step for them or if it's time to end the relationship, as per Cosmopolitan. The way they do this is by swapping partners, the idea being that some of the couples will realize they are facing marriage with the wrong person while others will receive affirmation that they have chosen the right person.
In a March 28 interview with E!, the couple discussed the experience of hosting "The Ultimatum." Nick revealed, "The emotional anxiety in the room was like palpable, like you could feel it, it was an emotional roller coaster and we were on it." The tight-knit nature of this show also allowed the couple to build relationships with the contestants. "There were multiple dinners where we sat down and had a glass of wine with them and were just talking about the process and what we've experienced in our lives," Vanessa added.
During one such moment of vulnerability, Vanessa delved into the early days of their relationship, which overlapped with the end of Nick's marriage to Jessica Simpson.
Vanessa and Nick Lachey had a rocky start
In an episode of "The Ultimatum," Vanessa Lachey opens up about the difficulties of her budding relationship with Nick Lachey, which began as the "One Tree Hill" actor was divorcing from Jessica Simpson. Vanessa revealed (via E!), "He was literally in a very public marriage and a very public divorce, and I had to go through all that s**t very publicly and it was very hard for us." At one point they both decided to just "let it go," she added, which resulted in an even closer bond. "We literally fell deeper and harder than we ever could," the former MTV VJ explained. Nick confirmed his wife's story, stating, "I think we got perspective."
It's understandable that Vanessa and Nick didn't have the easiest start to their romance. Around the time they met in 2006, the singer was still publicly declaring his love for his ex-wife in interviews. In one such interview with Rolling Stone in 2006, Nick admitted that he still loved Jessica and that he would "marry her all over again" (via Us Weekly). Vanessa and Nick endured a few more bumps in the road, including a brief breakup in the summer of 2009, but they quickly reconnected, and eventually tied the knot until 2011. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like Nick has any regrets. "It all worked out the way it was kind of meant to work out," he said in a 2014 interview with with Jenny McCarthy (via Us Weekly).