Nick and Vanessa Lachey have one of the most rock-solid marriages in Hollywood.
The pair have been married since 2011, are parents to three children, and now even work together as joint co-hosts of Love is Blind.
But, it has been a bit of a rocky road to love for the superstar couple.
Vanessa previously told US Weekly that the pair have endured their “highest highs and our lowest lows as a couple”.
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The couple had undeniable chemistry when she starred in Lachey’s video clip for his hit What’s Left of Me back in 2006, shortly after his split from Jessica Simpson.
Fast forward to 2009 and the pair confirmed their split, but soon got back together. Vanessa even admitted recently that it took the pair seeing other people during the breakup to realise they were meant for each other. She even said she once gave Nick an ultimatum for marriage once they were back on track.
9Honey Celebrity takes a look back at their relationship over the years – and how they’ve found their groove to celebrate 12 years of marriage.
February 2006: Nick married singer Jessica Simpson in October 2002, but they announced their separation in November 2005. They reportedly finalised their divorce in June 2006. Nick and Vanessa didn’t start dating until 2006.
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Nick already knew Vanessa (née Minnillo) for years as he frequently appeared on MTV’s Total Request Live, which she co-hosted, as a member of 98 Degrees. One appearance in 2004 included Simpson before their split.
In early 2006, Nick asked Vanessa to star as his love interest in his music video for What’s Left of Me, after his split with Simpson, where sparks flew between the pair who were just friends at the time.
Vanessa previously told Billboard: “It wasn’t until, coincidentally, I broke up with my longtime boyfriend and he was getting divorced that we ended up reconnecting.”
She explained that they went to premiere the video clip on TRL but she called in sick as she had a massive ”crush” on the boybander.
“But the video, which was on TRL, was the beginning of our relationship. That’s what made it no longer friends and it got romantic,” she said.
“To the point that if you go back and look at the video, when he came to premiere it, I was so nervous and so crushing him that I didn’t show up for work that day. I called in sick.”
March 2006: Nick and Vanessa were seen out with friends in New York City, according to People.
December 2006: The pair celebrated New Year’s Eve together at MTV’s New Year’s Eve Live party in Times Square and were seen sharing a kiss at midnight.
January 2007: Vanessa shot down split rumours with Nick, telling US Weekly: ”Sorry. We are still very much together!”
March 2007: Vanessa credited “privacy” as to how they make their relationship work when talking to People.
August 2008: Vanessa revealed Nick was the one who dropped the L-word first.
While speaking to People, she said: ”The L-word is not thrown around by men as easily as it is by women – but I didn’t say it first! He’s very loving. We’re very open and vocal.”
June 2009: The couple split. Shortly after she spoke about the possibility of marriage, her representative confirmed the shock news to People.
“They have amicably split but remain good friends who still greatly care for one another,” her rep said.
A source also told US Weekly at the time: ”They walk away from it still friends.”
October 2009: The split was short-lived. He said on Good Day Philadelphia that they pair had “patched things up”.
In September that year, he told US Weekly they were “trying to figure things out”.
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November 2010: Nick proposes to Vanessa. The pair issued a joint statement to announce the happy news.
“We’re excited and incredibly happy about our engagement and we look forward to a wonderful future together,” the statement read.
A source told People the singer popped the question at the beach in California.
He reportedly tweeted at the time: “Hey all. If anyone’s heard the rumors of my engagement, they are absolutely true! Vanessa and I couldn’t be happier. Thanks for all the love.”
July 2011: The couple tied the knot on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island.
In 2018, the pair celebrated seven years of marriage and Vanessa shared a picture from their nuptials, writing: “Yahooooooo Baby! Lucky number 7!!!I LOVE YOU! I LOVE US! 7/15/11.”
They enjoyed a honeymoon in the idyllic St. Bart’s.
March 2012: The couple announced they were expecting their first child together.
Nick said on Live! With Kelly that Vanessa did a pregnancy test in New York: ”She went to the store and got a pregnancy test and it came back positive. We’re having a baby!”
September 2012: The pair welcomed their first child together, a son named Camden.
https://twitter.com/VanessaLachey/status/252829005294759937
Vanessa shared the news on Twitter, now known as X, writing: “@NickSLachey and I are honored and humbled to introduce you to the new Love of our lives, Camden John Lachey.”
They also told People in a statement: “Born today at 6:54 p.m., he came into this world at 8 lbs., 9 oz. and 21 inches. Love has truly been redefined for both of us.”
July 2014: Nick announced they were expecting their second child on Twitter, with a picture of a message in the sand.
https://twitter.com/nicklachey/status/489111387646353408?lang=en
“Can’t think of a better way to celebrate 3 years of marriage to my beautiful @VanessaLachey than this! #family,” he wrote.
The message in the sand read: “It’s a girl!”
January 2015: The pair welcomed daughter Brooklyn into the world.
“Nick, Camden and I are SO excited to announce the birth of our sweet, beautiful baby girl, Brooklyn Elisabeth Lachey. She was born January 5th, 2015 at 5:17pm. She weighed in at 7 pounds 15 ounces, is 21 inches long and has already won over all of our hearts” Vanessa wrote on her website at the time.
As she celebrated her first Mother’s Day with Brooklyn, Vanessa wrote on Instagram: “Dear Brooklyn, I have waited my whole life to be your Mama. This is our first Mother’s Day together and I will cherish it and every one after. I will cherish every moment we have together.”
September 2016: The pair shared the happy news on Instagram that they were expecting their third child together.
“Newest Lachey arriving Spring 2017,” they captioned a post outside their new house with their family and Vanessa cradling her stomach.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ3Df_FjtA3/?utm_source=ig_embed
December 2016: The pair welcomed son Phoenix into the world, 10 weeks early.
“It’s a very Merry Christmas indeed! We had our Christmas Miracle. Phoenix Robert Lachey decided to show up early and was born on Christmas Eve,” Vanessa wrote on Instagram at the time.
October 2018: Vanessa reflected on her marriage to US Weekly and said it takes a lot of “work”.
“I see it as a working marriage and don’t mean like a job working, but we have to constantly work at it,” she told the publication.
“I was just telling my girlfriend last night, we don’t settle or run, we go head on with the problem. We communicate, we talk things through and we listen to the other person. We both know exactly what we want out of life and that’s each other, so we’re gonna make it work.”
July 2020: The pair celebrate their 9th wedding anniversary. Vanessa shared a tribute to Nick on Instagram and wrote: “Nine years ago today, we said ‘I Do’. Today, I say ‘Thank You’. Thank You for this Beautiful Life & Marriage. Thank You for the unconditional Love you give to me and our 3 crazy kids. Thank You for the hard work you put into Us and yourself daily. Thank YOU for keeping all your vows we shared on this day nine years ago. Thank you for it ALL.”
April 2022: Vanessa revealed the marriage ultimatum she gave Nick and that they saw other people during their brief split.
She said on The Ultimatum: Marry or Move on: ”We dated for five years. So I finally said, ‘What are we doing?'”
“I have now moved in with him, I renovated his entire bachelor pad, there was a bar in the pool. I’m like, ‘Whatever you want!’ Now I’m like, ‘Okay, well, I want to put kids in the pool.'”
She said about their brief split and seeing other people: “But it took seeing somebody else and me realising I don’t mind the things that I thought bugged me or were holding me back. I don’t mind all that.”
She also said on the show how hard it was to date Nick just after his split from Jessica Simpson, which made headlines.
“He was literally in a very public marriage and a very public divorce, and I had to go through all that s–t very publicly and it was very hard for us,” she explained.
“It wasn’t until the moment that he was like, ‘I’m gonna let it go,’ and I said, ‘I’m gonna let it go,’ and we truly committed to each other. We literally fell deeper and harder than we ever could.”
She also previously revealed on the show that the pair used to go through each other’s phones, but therapy helped them resolve their issues.
”I’m actually surprised you figured out my password. That was a good one,” she told Nick.
Vanessa said it was only through couples counselling that they were able to recognise this toxic behaviour and finally put a stop to it.
She said their therapist claimed they “shouldn’t be together” if this was regular behaviour.
“Honestly, I remember we went to a therapist and she was like, ‘If y’all are going through each other’s phones, then you shouldn’t be together,'” Vanessa added.
“I’m like, ‘You’re right. I need to trust this man and he needs to trust me.'”
November 2023: Vanessa, 43, shared a sweet flashback of the pair together on Instagram to mark Nick’s milestone 50th birthday. The pair were born on the same day, November 9, and share a birthday.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Czaqm9zryXg/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
“November 9, 2006 ❤️18 years ago, we celebrated our first birthday together. I will never forget the feeling I had in my heart when you told me we had the same birthday!… You were meant for me! I Love sharing my birthday with You, but more importantly, I Love sharing Life with You! Happy Birthday, My Love! To Us!”