Celebrity - News
Vanessa Lachey's Transformation Over The Years
By ALEX CENEVIVA
A Rocky Childhood
Vanessa Lachey's mother abandoned her when she was very young, robbing her of the "mother-daughter relationship" she always believed guides one "through life."
Since Lachey's father was in the military, he wasn't always around, and Lachey's stepmother didn't want any children, making Lachey's childhood quite rocky.
Becoming Miss Teen
Lachey won the 1998 Miss Teen USA pageant at 17, and according to her, "everything professionally and emotionally good" in her life came from this event.
The event not only gave her a confidence boost by allowing her to be herself but also, as she told the Inquirer, became a "stepping stone" for her career.
Joining MTV at 22
At 22, Lachey became the host of "TRL" following Carson Daly's departure, saying the show "was everything for that generation, and so I miss it."
While on MTV, she also worked as a correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight," gushing about "the wonderful events, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and the people."
Dating Nick Lachey
In 2006, Vanessa got together with her now-husband, Nick Lachey. While the singer had already appeared on "TRL," things got romantic when Vanessa took part in his music video.
Vanessa explained to Billboard, "It wasn't until, coincidentally, I broke up with my longtime boyfriend and he was getting divorced that we ended up reconnecting."
The 2007 Scandal
Lachey was involved in two embarrassing photo scandals in 2007, with one showing Lachey and Lindsey Lohan holding knives to each other and Lachey pulling down Lohan's shirt.
Around the same time, photos of the former "TRL" host and her then-boyfriend, Nick Lachey, getting hot and heavy in a hot tub also hit the internet.