Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's Relationship: A Look Back

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey married in 2002 and divorced in 2006

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey were considered an "It" couple in the early aughts.

However, their brief four-year marriage had its fair share of ups and downs. The two singers met in the late '90s just as their respective careers were taking off. They got married in 2002 and began starring on the MTV reality series Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica, which launched their fame to new heights.

As the couple became household names, their marriage began to crumble, and Simpson filed for divorce in 2005.

Shortly after their split, Simpson and Lachey met up one last time, and the former 98 Degree frontman played his then-new album for Simpson, in which all of the songs were about her. Simpson later recalled the moment in her 2020 memoir Open Book.

"I was numb, just blank," Simpson wrote. "I felt manipulated into some revenge fantasy, but I had put myself in this situation. I didn't know any other way to make it better, so I slept with him."

Simpson and Lachey finalized their divorce in 2006 and have since moved on. Lachey is now married to Vanessa Lachey (née Minnillo) and the couple share three children, while Simpson found love with former pro football player Eric Johnson. She and Johnson also have three kids.

In the years since their divorce, both Simpson and Lachey have spoken about their relationship as well as why it ended.

From touring together and starring on their hit reality show to their divorce, here's a look back at Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's relationship.

1998: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey meet

Simpson and Lachey first met at the Hollywood Christmas Parade in Los Angeles. The two singers shared the same manager at the time — Simpson as a solo artist and Lachey as the frontman of 98 Degrees. The boy band performed at the event.

"After we met, I found myself looking through the crowds for her all night," Lachey told PEOPLE in 2003.

A month later, they reconnected at a party for Teen PEOPLE in Florida. Simpson performed at the event, and Lachey was smitten. "I watched her sing and saw the way people responded," he told PEOPLE in 2000. They began dating shortly after.

March 1999: Jessica Simpson joins Nick Lachey on tour

Months into their relationship, Simpson began touring with Lachey's band 98 Degrees, but the experience turned out to be a learning opportunity for the couple.

"There were so many girls backstage at their concerts," Simpson recalled in 2000. "At first I was like, 'I don't know if I like this.' But Nick said, 'Trust has to be the core of our relationship.' "

2000: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey release a duet

Simpson and Lachey recorded a duet for her debut album, Sweet Kisses. The music video for their single "Where You Are" featured the pair singing to each other across frames.

The music power couple performed the duet on MTV's Total Request Live that February.

Early 2001: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey briefly break up

At the start of their relationship, Simpson briefly broke up with Lachey to focus on her second album, as she later revealed on an episode of Newlyweds.

They got back together a few months later after 9/11, with Simpson writing on her website that the national tragedy put things into perspective for her.

"I knew that I never, ever wanted to be away from Nick ever for the rest of my life," she wrote, per Entertainment Weekly.

February 2002: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey get engaged

After reconciling, Lachey asked Simpson to marry her. While chartering a yacht in Hawaii, Lachey presented Simpson with a pear-shaped diamond engagement ring.

"Nick Lachey asked me to marry him in a very romantic way and I said yeeeeeeeeeeeessssss!!!" she wrote on her website. "He had been patiently waiting for me to grow up a little (which I needed). And I did! Now my life feels so perfect."

Simpson later recalled the moment to PEOPLE in 2003. "I was wearing a huge sweatshirt that came down to my knees," she said. "If I had known he was going to propose, I would have at least dressed up cute."

October 26, 2002: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey get married

Simpson and Lachey tied the knot at a church in Austin, Texas, in front of 350 guests. Simpson wore a custom Vera Wang gown and was serenaded by 98 Degrees during the ceremony.

Their wedding was featured on an episode of Newlyweds, during which Simpson also discussed the pressure to save herself for marriage.

August 19, 2003: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's Newlyweds premieres on MTV

The show that would catapult Simpson and Lachey into a new level of stardom premiered on MTV in August 2003.

Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica began as a way to show their "odd couple" pairing, with Lachey as the mature and responsible counterpart to Simpson's young and flighty personality. The show aired for three seasons, and they were one of the first celebrity couples to pull back the curtain on their personal lives.

April 2005: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey visit the troops

Simpson and Lachey were all smiles spreading love to the troops during a USO-hosted tour. As they filmed their ABC special Nick & Jessica's Tour of Duty, the couple first visited Ramstein Air Base in Germany. "We really believe in supporting the troops, doing what we can to make lives a little brighter," Lachey said at the time.

Simpson also performed some of her hits for the soldiers and the pair visited injured service members in the hospital ward.

A few days later, the couple stopped by three U.S. military bases in Iraq. The trip gave Simpson and Lachey a new perspective on their relationship. "There are married couples who are both in the military and haven't seen each other in over a year or two," Lachey said. "We're constantly a support system for each other."

July 2005: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey are rumored to have split

After three seasons of Newlyweds, rumors began swirling that Simpson had had an affair with her Dukes of Hazzard costar Johnny Knoxville. At the time, Simpson and Knoxville both denied those claims, with the Jackass star telling GQ they were "just friends."

In her 2020 memoir, Simpson admitted to having an "emotional affair" with Knoxville — implying that she had a different dynamic with Lachey. "I could share my deepest authentic thoughts with [Knoxville], and he didn't roll his eyes at me," she wrote. "He actually liked that I was smart and embraced my vulnerabilities. He believed in me and made me feel I could do anything."

November 23, 2005: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey confirm their split

Though the pair had kept private about their relationship amid cheating rumors, Simpson and Lachey released a joint statement confirming their split in November 2005.

"After three years of marriage, and careful thought and consideration, we have decided to part ways," their statement read. "This is the mutual decision of two people with an enormous amount of respect and admiration for each other. We hope that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."

December 16, 2005: Jessica Simpson files for divorce from Nick Lachey

Simpson cited "irreconcilable differences" when she filed for divorce the following month in L.A. She requested that Lachey not receive spousal support and that her last name be changed back to Simpson. Lachey hired celebrity divorce lawyer Laura Wasser.

April 2006: Nick Lachey says he was "blindsided" by divorce from Jessica Simpson

As divorce proceedings between him and Simpson began, Lachey shared his perspective on the split. "I'll tell you how I knew my marriage was over: I was told," he said in an interview, adding that he felt "blindsided" when Simpson asked for a divorce.

Lachey also spoke candidly about the effect Newlyweds had on their relationship. "Jessica and I began playing these parts even when we were by ourselves," he added. "It became a really blurred line. There was a question about what truly was our reality."

June 30, 2006: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey finalize their divorce

A year after speculation of their split began, Simpson and Lachey's divorce was finalized. The pair asked the judge to "bifurcate" the case, which would end their marriage before settling financial details.

With the divorce finalized, Simpson also officially removed "Lachey" from her surname.

October 2006: Jessica Simpson recalls when she knew her marriage to Nick Lachey was over

Speaking to Jane magazine shortly after the divorce was finalized, Simpson opened up about the end of her and Lachey's relationship.

She recalled a trip she and Lachey were supposed to take to Kenya with the nonprofit Operation Smile, from whom they had just received an award. Lachey opted out of the trip.

"I went there on our three-year wedding anniversary," she told Jane magazine. "He stayed home."

She continued, "On that day, everything became so clear. I was in hospitals with all these sick kids. I just knew I needed to find something more in my life, on my own."

November 2010: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey separately get engaged

On Nov. 4, 2010, Lachey proposed to his now-wife after four years of dating.

Simpson wished them well in an interview with Ryan Seacrest, where she addressed rumors that she was "heartbroken" by the news.

"You know, our relationship was over a really long time ago," Simpson said. "So it would be nice if everybody could move on with us and really just celebrate the love between him and Vanessa. I do, and I wish them nothing but the best."

Just a few days later, Simpson's then-boyfriend Johnson proposed to her on Nov. 14.

September 2015: Jessica Simpson says marriage to Nick Lachey was her "biggest money mistake"

After building a billion-dollar brand and becoming a successful businesswoman in the fashion industry, Simpson got candid about her finances — including not signing a prenup with Lachey. In an episode of CNBC's Closing Bell, host Kelly Evans asked about Simpson's biggest money mistakes.

"I don't know. For some reason I thought of my first marriage," Simpson said with a laugh. While the exact details were not disclosed, the former couple resolved their financial settlement in December 2006.

February 2020: Jessica Simpson's memoir Open Book revisits her marriage to Nick Lachey

In 2019, Simpson announced that she was writing a memoir about her life, prompting excitement that she would reveal more about her marriage to Lachey.

In the book, Simpson recalled shooting the final season of Newlyweds, feeling unappreciated and realizing her marriage was over. She called Lachey her "first love" and wrote that they "got crushed by the media and by ourselves."

Ahead of the book's release, Simpson spoke to PEOPLE and reflected on her relationship with Lachey. "We meant a lot to each other and we always will," she said. "I want to be very respectful because I married him for a reason and we were together for seven years for a reason. He has a family now and I would never say anything to disrespect that."

In a later interview with Andy Cohen, Lachey said that he has not and will not read Simpson's memoir. "Here's the thing, obviously I knew the book was coming out. I lived the book," he said. "I know what the truth is so I don't need to read it or read someone's version of a story. I know it. I lived it. So no, I never read it."

March 2021: Jessica Simpson opens up about her divorce in a personal journal entry

The paperback edition of Simpson's memoir, which was released in 2021, included several journal entries from the singer's own diary — including one about her divorce from Lachey.

In a note from 2005, Simpson wrote, "I didn't want to be married any longer but I was also afraid to be alone with 'no one to call my own but the night.' The house is hushed. Everything is still. I sit in solitude. To cry. To feel alone…."

She added, "What a shame to find that which is or who is to blame, because in this world, deceit becomes a crippled hearts cane."

At one point in the diary, she addressed Lachey directly, writing, "So Nick, u r with another already?" she wrote. "Seems that you forgot the love you spoke to me…"

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