news archives

October 26, 2005 - Sources tell Star magazine that Jessica Simpson has been lobbying hard to be cast in a big-screen adaptation of the hit primetime soap 'Dallas', hoping she'd be cast as the on-screen wife of Brad Pitt. "Jessica's had a secret crush on Brad for ages," a source revealed. "She literally saw Legends of the Fall more than 12 times. She thinks that Brad is the hottest man alive." Read more.

October 26, 2005 - The Las Vegas Review Journal reports Nick Lachey was spotted at Tao on Saturday night without wife Jessica Simpson and chatting up Jessica Biel, who was recently named 'Sexiest Woman Alive' by Esquire. Writer Norm Clarke hears at divorce papers should be filed by the 'Newlyweds' stars before the end of the year.

October 26, 2005 - OK! magazine quotes Jessica Simpson, who is under paid contact with the gossip mag, stating, "I think a lot of celebrities support this magazine. They know it will be their words released. It's hard with all the tabloids, it's all fabricated. OK! makes you feel like you can speak what's on your mind and speak the truth and say 'ha-ha' to everything else."

October 26, 2005 - Star magazine reports that when Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson were photographed at London's Heathrow Airport looking very love-dovey, it was for the cameras. Sources tell the tab that the publicity stunt took place after months of Nick, 31, and Jessica, 25, living apart. Why the charade? "Nick and Jessica are much more viable as a couple than they are as two individuals," a friend of the couple explained. "Their appeal is as a cutesy, cuddly duo. If they split, they will lose the fan base of those who fell in love with them as a happy, and oh-so-in-love newlywed couple." Read more.

October 26, 2005 - According to the satirical news website The Borowitz Report, in the latest setback for a troubled government agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) acknowledged today that it had been too late to save the marriage of singers Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. Read more.

October 26, 2005 - MTV News reports that Jessica Simpson's album, 'And the Band Played On', which was due for a November release, has been pushed back until May/June of next year, according to her label rep.

October 26, 2005 - Tabloid covers scream hollywood breakups, but is there any truth to the rumors? Watch CNN's Sibila Vargas covering the split talk, including that of Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, here.

October 26, 2005 - Pamela Paul, author of 'Pornified: How Pornography is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships and Our Families' was on 'Scarborough Country' on Friday (October 7) to chat with host Joe Scarborough about how pop music is currently selling sex, not good songs. "Well, you know, it is not even just sex," Paul said. "It is specifically pornographic. It is this porn chic, where singers like Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, you know, Britney Spears, certainly, are emulating strippers and porn stars in their videos." Read more (Paul's interview is at the end).

October 26, 2005 - In a wide ranging interview with OK! magazine, Jessica Simpson spoke out on reports that she and sister Ashlee walked off a Rolling Stone cover shoot with photographer David LaChapelle. "We were never on the set, so to say Ashlee and I walked off the set is a lie," Simpson said. "We didn't see eye to eye on the concept. David LaChapelle is an amazing photographer and it would have been a great opportnity, but no opportunity is worth sacrificing who I am as a person, and even if it is the Rolling Stone cover, oh well. Sticking to what I believe has gotten me to the level of success that I am at. That was a very unfortunate situation and he said some very hurtful things.

October 26, 2005 - Lou Pearlman has jumped into the Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson marriage rumor fray. The pop manager, who represents Lachey's friend and former 98 Degrees bandmate Jeff Timmons, claims he's heard the couple are struggling. Pearlman told Star magazine, "Timmons says Nick told him, 'My marriage is shaky right now. I'm hoping this trip will turn things around. This trip could be a second honeymoon - or preparation for a divorce. I don't know what's going to happen, and Jessica doesn't know what's going to happen, but we're going to give it our best shot.'" Representatives for the couple deny the claims.

October 26, 2005 - Body language expert Jessi Klein analyzed celebrity posture on 'The Showbiz Show with David Spade' the other night, including a shot of Jessica Simpson with 'Dukes of Hazzard' co-star Johnny Knoxville. Watch the comedy clip here.

October 26, 2005 - Marc S. Malkin of 'The Insider' reports that Nick Lachey was well behaved while in Las Vegas over the weekend for the ubid.com Hurricane Katrina relief auction, even though wife Jessica Simpson was hundreds of miles away at Chateau Marmont hotel in West Hollywood with Lindsay Lohan. Though women swarmed him, he spent most of his time at the Empire ballroom event hanging with his brother and 98 Degrees bandmate Drew and AJ Discala. "There were girls all over Nick, but he was behaving himself," a fellow party-goer reported. "After the auction, when we were all backstage waiting for our cars to go to Tao, AJ yelled something about going to a strip club, but Nick did not go with him." Malkin also threw cold water on gossip that Nick was hitting on Jessica Biel, calling it "nothing more than friendly banter."

October 26, 2005 - One of the theories why Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey are hiding their breakup? Media attention surrounding the speculation helps their careers. "Nick, Jessica and [her father Joe Simpson] were all conscious of the commercial heat the 9-month-long Brad Pitt-Jennifer Aniston breakup drama genereated for their various projects," a source tells Star magazine. "That's something that goes to the heart of the Simpsons: They have a cynical approach to make a buck - whatever it takes! Joe has seen first-hand that a little speculation and innuendo go a long way to fuel the public's interest. That's why I doubt you'll ever see him drag Nick and Jessica to couples counseling. I bet he thinks the tension in their marriage raises their profile."

October 26, 2005 - According to The New York Post, 'Jackass' star Bam Margera, who was rumored to have enjoyed a fling with Jessica Simpson, confirmed the singer has left hubby Nick Lachey. The Post added that the 'Newlyweds' stars had a "romantic" Italian vacation paid for by OK! magazine owner Richard Desmond. Additionally, Jessica will join assistant Cacee Cobb and father Joe (but not Nick) to travel to Nairobi for Operation Smile — her pet charity that fixes cleft lips — for 10 days. "Operation Smile is an organization that is very special to Jessica, and she is looking forward to participating in more missions," Simpson's rep said. "Nick will be unable to join Jessica on the next trip because of work commitments in Los Angeles."

October 15, 2005 - Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson were photographed together at London's Heathrow airport Friday (October 7) on their way to a vacation getaway. The couple no doubt were eager to see paparazzi to silence reports that a divorce announcement was imminent. Check out pictures from SweetKisses.us.

October 15, 2005 - College co-ed Danielle Calo spoke with The National Enquirer about her makeout fest with Jessica Simpson's hubby Nick Lachey last month. "Around 11 p.m., my phone rang," the 19-year-old explained. "It was the bodyguard, asking me if I wanted to meet up with them at their hotel, the Embassy Suites in Columbus. He said they were planning to just 'chill and drink a bit,' so I said we'd come over. When Brittany and I arrived at Nick's hotel room — Room 819 — Nick wasn't there, but the bodyguard made a phone call and Nick arrived wearing sweatpants. He seemed really down to earth." Read more.

October 15, 2005 - Jay Leno joked during his Tonight Show monologue on Friday night, "Welcome to 'The Tonight Show'. Nice to have you all here. Well, folks, it is now 11:37. Nick and Jessica are still married. ... We'll have another update at 11:39, keep you posted here. That's the big story in Hollywood, you know. Us magazine is reporting that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey have split up. [Audience aws] Yeah, a spokesman for the couple denied it. And Jessica said she didn't know if it's true or not because she didn't read the magazine yet. ... See, this kind of thing really upsets me. We knew Nick and Jessica were having problems months ago. And did FEMA do anything? No, no. Nothing. Nothing. Not a phone call."

October 15, 2005 - Nine.com spokesman Jack Abrams has issued a statement in regards to the online betting site's cancellation of bets on Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson's marriage fate after too many bets came from the couple's hometowns. "We have an extremely strong suspicion that those betting know the couple or are in close enough association to either Simpson or Lachey that they have insider information," Abrams said, according to The New York Daily News. "A near unanimous amount of these bets were placed on the couple not being together."

October 15, 2005 - David Spade joked during 'The Showbiz Show' "news" update on Thursday night, "Nick and Jessica have split. Jessica Simpson won't be known as Mrs. Nick Lachey, and Nick Lachey won't be known as a celebrity."

October 15, 2005 - People magazine's Jess Cagle dished to 'The Early Show' about Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise expecting, as well as the buzz surrounding a potential split between Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, and the actual split between Paris Hilton and Paris Latsis. Watch the segment at CBSNews.com.

October 15, 2005 - Jessica Simpson was photographed again without her wedding ring while shopping in Beverly Hills, California the other day. Check out pictures from Clasos.

October 15, 2005 - Us Weekly "stands by its story" that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey have split up, a rep said in response to the couple's denial. The mag quotes a source "close to Lachey" as blaming Joe Simpson's controlling, jealous ways, and adds that Jessica "is like the new J.Lo or something." So why are they denying the report? The New York Daily News hears that their deal with OK! magazine requires them to confirm news items exclusively with the pay-for-news tabloid.

October 15, 2005 - Us Weekly's Caroline Schaeffer tells 'Extra' that Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson have not been together for close to two months. "Now we know the reason they are not wearing their rings," Schaeffer said. "I think for a long time people have said this is a marriage of convenience for business reasons. It wasn't the right time to split, so for a long time they have been having separate lives, but staying together in public." Lachey's publicist responded by issuing the following statemen on behalf of both of the 'Newlyweds': "Nick and Jessica have not separated. Rumors to the contrary are simply not true." Read more.

October 15, 2005 - Jessica Simpson was photographed out and about in New York City on September 28th. Check out pictures from RexFeatures.

October 3, 2005 - 'Extra' reports that Lisa Marie Presley, Britney Spears, and Jessica Simpson and hubby Nick Lachey are amongst the celebrities who face having their homes burned away by the wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. Read more.

October 3, 2005 - Jessica Simpson phoned into the Kyle and Jackie O. program on 2day FM in Sydney, Australia to promote her big-screen debut 'The Dukes Of Hazzard'. She talked about her MTV Video Music Awards outfit, being away from the reality show microscope, how she's loving to keep in shape now, and more. Listen to the interview under the 'celebrity' section here.

October 3, 2005 - Jessica Simpson seemed angry when photographed with husband Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees leaving Mood nightclub in Hollywood, California the other night. Check out pictures from Clasos.

October 3, 2005 - Jessica Simpson arrived solo at Sunday night's Emmy Awards, without husband Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees or her wedding ring. And Simpson said that although 'Everybody Loves Raymond' won the Emmy for Best Comedy, she is a diehard 'Desperate Housewives' fan. "Even though it didn't win tonight, it is my favorite show," she told 'Extra'. "I love it."

October 3, 2005 - Jessica Simpson was photographed out and about in New York City on Monday (September 26). Check out pictures from RexFeatures and GlobePhotos.

October 3, 2005 - Anonymous writes "Cinematical.com reports that the producers of the big-screen remake of 'Dallas' are apparently dead set on casting a pop starlet in the role of Lucy; Lindsay Lohan, Mandy Moore and Jessica Simpson are all on the list. Read more."

October 3, 2005 - Jessica Simpson tells 'Entertainment Tonight' she and hubby Nick Lachey are looking for a new home. "We're looking," she said. "We haven't found anything yet but we're shopping around. We live so far out, we want to live somewhere where we can have a really nice view." The upshot of having a home not featured in a reality show? "People won't know where our toilet is when they walk in the house," Simpson joked. Read more, and watch a video clip of Simpson offering marriage advice here.

October 3, 2005 - Jessica Simpson and Sean 'Diddy' Combs hosted the launch of OK! Magazine on September 20th at Garden of Ono in New York City. Amongst the other star attendees were 'American Idol' Constantine Maroulis and Diddy's girlfriend Kim Porter. Check out pictures here.

October 3, 2005 - Star magazine is asking if Jessica Simpson's drinking habit is getting out of control after the 'Dukes' star "stumbled out looking pretty drunk" at La Poubelle in Hollywood with Johnny Knoxville and Orlando Bloom on September 8th. Simpson was again drinking at Mood nightclub in Los Angeles on September 14th and at La Poubelle again on September 17th. A spy said the 25-year-old needed to hang on to a staffer at the French eatery to "stop swaying around."

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