Nick and Vanessa Lachey deny Jessica Simpson's story they sent her a gift: 'I don't know her address'

Taryn Ryder
Updated ·4 min read

Jessica Simpson has been capturing headlines over the last week for her candid admissions in her upcoming memoir, Open Book. It's been great for fans as Simpson's press tour has been equally as revelatory. It probably hasn't been great for Simpson's ex-husband who’s embarking on a press tour of his own.

Nick and Vanessa Lachey sat down with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on Today Monday to promote their new Netflix dating show Love is Blind — and the interview got awkward when Simpson was brought up. Kotb, whose full sit down with Nick's ex-wife airs on the Today show Tuesday, mentioned how Simpson only had nice things to say about the couple.

Vanessa and Nick Lachey deny Jessica Simpson's claim they sent her a gift during an awkward interview on Today. (Photo: Getty Images)
Vanessa and Nick Lachey deny Jessica Simpson's claim they sent her a gift during an awkward interview on Today. (Photo: Getty Images)

"[Jessica] talked about how she has her life with her husband and her children and she was really, really happy for y'all," Kotb began. "She kept saying, like 'They sent me something beautiful when we had our children,’ et cetera, et cetera. When I was learning about her, there was all this stuff I didn't know. I didn't know she'd been through this abuse, I didn't know she had drinking problems. Sometimes you don't even share that with the person you're closest to. Was this kind of news to you Nick, or were you kind of aware of what — "

"I'll be honest, I obviously haven't read the book so I don't know what she said or what she revealed," Nick replied. "It was a long time ago, we've all moved on."

Vanessa interjected, "I feel bad, I'm sorry — you said somebody sent her... it wasn't us, but thank you whoever sent it from us!"

Nick awkwardly laughed and everyone appeared uncomfortable.

"Yeah, she got something nice from you guys after, I don't remember, after some moment in her life and she thought it was sweet," Kotb continued. "So anyway, so she sort of was, like, saying kind of thanks to you guys."

"Mmmhmm, mmmhmm," Hager nodded.

"What'd you send her?" Nick asked Vanessa.

"That's — I didn't," Vanessa emphasized again. "No, I didn't. I don't know her address. But thank you whoever sent it from us!"

Nick and Jessica wed in 2002 and she filed for divorce in 2005. The 98 Degrees singer and Vanessa, a former MTV host, were married in 2011. Most of the stories coming out of Open Book have to do with John Mayer, but Nick is definitely featured.

When writing about having feelings for her Dukes of Hazzard co-star Johnny Knoxville while married to Nick, Simpson said there was a lack of emotional connection with her then-husband. Simpson added that she felt Nick was giving her a reason to turn elsewhere. At the time, "there were so many tabloid stories about Nick in strip clubs or talking to girls that I just didn’t know what to believe. Did he feel caught in this marriage? He kept putting himself into situations where he could be so easily accused of cheating. It was self-sabotage. And I was supposed to stay home and be Betty Crocker?"

During her interview with Kotb, Simpson talked about how her success caused issues in her marriage to Nick. "I think that our success together was beautiful, but our success separately was not as accepted," she explained.

The Lachey’s clearly want to be excluded from Simpson's Open Book narrative. When asked about it over the weekend, Nick told Us Weekly, "Both of us have not read the book, and no, she did not reach out before it was published."

Here’s hoping Simpson elaborates on whatever gift she got during her next interview.

Jessica Simpson addresses rumored Johnny Knoxville romance in her memoir:

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