Nick Lachey Says First Marriage Gave Him a ‘Leg Up’ With Vanessa

Nick Lachey made a rare public reference to his previous marriage to Jessica Simpson during the Season 11 premiere of the Netflix reality series “Love Is Blind.” The 52-year-old co-host opened up about his past during a conversation with a contestant, explaining how his historical split ultimately guided him toward what he wanted in life.

While visiting the women’s lounge alongside his wife and co-host, Vanessa Lachey, Nick spoke directly with participant Erika Ellis. The contestant had shared her personal anxieties about dating after a previous marriage, admitting she often struggled with knowing the appropriate time to reveal her marital history to potential partners.

Offering reassurance to the contestant, Nick Lachey offered a unique perspective drawn directly from his own public history. He stated that having a prior marriage actually provides a distinct advantage because it teaches individuals what they truly desire moving forward. Vanessa Lachey, 45, echoed the sentiment by telling Ellis that everyone possesses messy pasts and that a previous marriage is nothing to regret.

Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, 46, were married from October 2002 until their divorce was finalized in June 2006. During the height of their relationship, the couple famously starred together in the MTV reality television series “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica,” which aired from 2003 through 2005 and chronicled the early years of their highly publicized marriage.

Following their separation, Nick Lachey eventually married Vanessa in 2011, and the couple now shares three children together: Camden, Brooklyn, and Phoenix. The 98 Degrees singer has occasionally referenced his first marriage on television before, previously noting on Netflix’s “The Ultimatum” that his divorce left him with scars but ultimately reinforced his belief in finding a lasting, beautiful family.

The rare television mention follows a much-publicized accidental reunion between the former spouses earlier in the year. In March, Nick Lachey and Simpson had an awkward run-in when they ended up on the exact same flight from Los Angeles to Kauai, Hawaii. Nick later addressed the encounter during a May appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” describing the six-and-a-half-hour journey as strangely okay after not seeing each other for two decades.

Simpson later defended the accidental travel arrangement, explaining that her mother, Tina Ann Drew, had originally purchased the tickets. Simpson, who announced her split from husband Eric Johnson in January 2025 after a decade of marriage, has since gone public with a new relationship with musician Thomas Eisenhood.

While both stars have long since moved on to separate lives and families, Nick Lachey continues to occasionally draw upon his personal history to connect with contestants navigating the emotional complexities of modern relationships on reality television.