Jessica Simpson Throws Epic Shade at Ex Nick Lachey with Viral ‘Newlyweds’ TikTok Challenge

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's breakup happened almost two decades ago, but their marriage continues to be showcased in rewatched episodes of Newlyweds, which has gained renewed popularity thanks to TikTok.

During an interview with Bustle, published on Wednesday, July 5, the 42-year-old pop star addressed the show's resurgence. When writer Mickey Rapkin mentioned that some viewers now consider Lachey, who is currently 49 years old, as a villain, Simpson responded with a nonchalant acceptance of the delayed realization.

Simpson responded to a question about the public's perception of Lachey during the original airing of Newlyweds by stating, "The power of publicity is truly astonishing."

After being engaged for eight months, Simpson and Lachey got married in October 2002. Their relationship was showcased on MTV's Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, which aired for three seasons from August 2003 to March 2005. Following the conclusion of the show, Simpson filed for divorce nine months later, attributing irreconcilable differences as the cause of their separation.

In her 2020 memoir, Open Book, Simpson confessed that she and Lachey had not been as transparent on camera as viewers may have believed. She revealed that they had essentially become actors, portraying themselves in their own lives. Their acting became so ingrained that even when the cameras weren't rolling, they continued to play their roles. As they started filming season 3, Simpson expressed her frustration with constantly having to lie for the sake of the show. She mentioned that they frequently asked the crew to stop filming, resulting in the final episode being a compilation of clips. Simpson found this experience bizarre and chose not to watch it. She stated that they completed their contractual obligations and concluded the series.

Simpson acknowledged that her now-infamous instances of seeming scatterbrained - like mistaking tuna for chicken, for instance - were completely genuine. "My moments of absentmindedness became synonymous with 'pulling a Jessica'", she recollected. "I didn't mind if people teased me, because we were attracting nearly 3 million viewers each week."

Following the divorce, Simpson moved forward with Eric Johnson, with whom she has daughters Maxwell, 11, and Birdie, 4, as well as son Ace, 10. Nick, on the other hand, got married to Vanessa Lachey in 2011. The couple are parents to Camden, 10, Phoenix, 6, and Brooklyn, 8.

Last year, Nick made a sly comment about Simpson, bringing up their past relationship during the season 3 reunion of Love Is Blind, which was broadcasted in November 2022. He jokingly said to contestant Matt Bolton, "They say marriage is better the second time around, don't they?" Bolton, who had previously mentioned on the show that he had been married to his high school sweetheart before meeting his current wife Colleen Reed, playfully replied, "Cheers, mate."