Years After Her Divorce From Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson Got Candid: "I Couldn't Stay In Something That Felt Destructive"

Feb 25, 2022

Jessica Simpson has been a pivotal figure in the entertainment industry since she was just a teenager. Since entering the limelight at the age of 17, Simpson has gone on to star in several movies and music videos while simultaneously releasing her own music and fashion line. The successful woman has also been extremely candid about the realities of being a woman and a mother in the spotlight, especially what it’s like dealing with scrutiny surrounding what she looks like.

Simpson has often spoken about the pressures she’s faced regarding her body image and growing up in the public eye as she navigated her music career. After putting on some weight with her three pregnancies, public scrutiny surrounding her body image only became worse. However, Simpson has been clear about the fact that rather than trying to be a particular size or meet certain beauty standards, she just wants to be healthy.

The singer has since embarked on a holistic health journey where she has learned how to develop healthy habits that ultimately led her to lose 100 pounds in just one year. Now Simpson looks refreshed and ready to tackle anything else that comes her way.

Another element of the star’s life that has been highly publicized is her relationships. Specifically, her marriage to Nick Lachey in 2002. The couple chronicled their marriage on a reality television series called “Newlyweds.” The show aired on MTV and showcased the lives of the young couple while they navigated marriage for the first time. Read on to find out why Simpson decided that she needed to divorce Lachey.

As someone who has been in the public eye for more than half of their life, it’s safe to say that Simpson has experienced plenty of highs and lows and everything in between. With so many different career avenues along with becoming a mother, it’s no surprise that Simpson has donned several various looks over the years. However, she has continued to strive to find a path to happiness and health.

Simpson is a mother of three children, Maxwell, Ace, and Birdie. After gaining some weight during her pregnancies, Simpson shifted her focus to finding a way to gain healthy habits and activities. In an Instagram post from May 2020, Simpson mentioned the correlation between physical health and mental health. As a mother, it’s important for her to have her personal time, something that she does by exercising before any of her kids wake up in the morning. 

Her caption read, “Woke up before all three kiddos to get my steps in and spend time with me, myself, and I. Move move move for your own mental health.” She added that she wasn’t trying to lose weight but rather focus on her health and try to get 8,000 to 10,000 steps in a day.

Since then, Simpson has continued to show off her new physique and embark on the next steps of her career. In November 2021, the mother of three released an emotional version of “Particles,” accompanied by a statement that detailed her connection to the song. “The whole idea of music heals is an honest truth to me,” she said, according to E! News. “This song saved a broken piece of me.” The song also helped her celebrate a milestone in her sobriety journey.

Simpson’s marriage to Nick Lachey started in 2002, and their divorce was finalized in 2006. In late 2005, Lachey and Simpson said in a joint statement:

“After three years of marriage, and careful thought and consideration, we have decided to part ways. 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.”

In her memoir, “Open Book,” Simpson shared what it was like shooting “Newlyweds” for her and how she was perceived by the public. There were comments made at the time that Simpson came off as unintelligent during the show. “I wanted my marriage to look perfect. I didn’t mind if I looked dumb, but I wanted people to see the fairy tale in Nick,” Simpson wrote.

The couple struggled to be apart and that contributed to their decision to get divorced. Also in her book, Simpson wrote: “We worked, and we were great at it but when it came to being alone, we weren’t great at it anymore (…) I wish we were the kind of people who could divorce and stay friends. We weren’t, and I regret that my actions hurt him.”

Simpson revealed another major factor for separating from Lachey on “The View” in 2020. She said: “It is hard to be on camera. I mean, we started shooting like six weeks into our marriage (…) I couldn’t stay in something that felt destructive, and I needed to be free to be myself and to grow up. He was 8 years older than me. I had a lot of learning to do to really be at the place where I could be a wife.”

What do you think of Simpson and Lachey’s reasons for divorce? Did you watch their reality show? Let us know and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family.