Nick Lachey Cried the Day He and Jessica Simpson Stopped Filming Their Reality Show, Newlyweds

Published: June 2, 2025

Nick Lachey is remembering the emotional ending of the early aughts reality show, Newlyweds, in which he starred alongside then-wife Jessica Simpson. Speaking on a podcast, Lachey said he and Simpson were instructed not to speak to the crew while filming, but over time, the crew became like family, and he shared that he grew emotional when the show ended.

The MTV reality series, Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica, was, at the time, a very new style of television, and Nick Lachey said it became such an important part of his life that he grew emotional when it ended. Speaking on the May 27 episode of the Richer Lives by SoFi podcast, Lachey, 51, opened up about the show, which charted the early days of his marriage to Jessica Simpson.

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 show in 2004, which launched their fame to new heights. But as Lachey said, the impetus for the show was initially to promote the couple's respective music careers.

Lachey said that when they first began filming the show, he and Simpson were instructed not to speak to the crew. But he didn't listen. "I remember at first they were like, 'Don't talk to the crew. They're a fly on the wall!' " Lachey said. "And I was like, 'Guys, if this is ever going to work, that's just not how I'm wired. You're not going to be in my house and watch my every move, and we're not going to talk to each other. We got to get past that right now.' "

His relationship with the crew ultimately meant that the show's ending was that much more poignant. He continued: "I actually came to really love the crew. I remember crying the day we shut down because you develop relationships with them. They really became family."

As the couple became household names, their marriage began to crumble, and Simpson filed for divorce in 2005, the same year the show ended. Reflecting back on its success, Lachey said that Newlyweds "opened up a different world for me as an entertainer because no one ever got to see that side of me before ... It allowed me to become really comfortable being myself."

Simpson and Lachey finalized their divorce in 2006. Lachey is now married to Vanessa Lachey (née Minnillo) and the couple share three children. They began hosting the Netflix reality dating show Love Is Blind in 2020 and have been involved in every season since. Simpson found love with former pro football player Eric Johnson, but she announced their split after 10 years of marriage on Jan. 13 of this year. They also share three kids.

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