Nick Lachey, the multi-talented American entertainer, has a career spanning music, television, and entrepreneurship. While famous for co-hosting Netflix’s reality TV series Love Is Blind and Perfect Match, Lachey has had a decades-long career on television, especially in reality TV. Nick Lachey’s journey into the public eye began in the mid-1990s.
Born Nicholas Scott Lachey in Harlan, Kentucky, on November 9, 1973, he rose to fame as the boy band 98 Degrees lead singer. For decades, Lachey’s career and personal lives made him one of Hollywood’s most talked about figures. As host of one of American television’s most-watched reality TV shows, here’s everything to know about Nick Lachey’s life and career.
Nick Lachey’s Life and Musical Beginnings
Although born to Cathalyn (née Fopma) and John Lachey in Kentucky, Nick Lachey was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lachey is the older brother of singer and occasional actor Drew Lachey. However, he has a half-brother and sister, Isaac and Josie, as well as two adopted siblings, Zac and Kaitlin. Lachey had a normal childhood, attending Clovernook Elementary School in the Cincinnati suburb of North College Hill, Ohio. He later attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), where he honed his talent for the entertainment industry.
After graduating from SCPA, Lachey attended and studied sports medicine at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. At the university, Lachey was a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity member. In the early 1990s, he began his professional singing career at Kings Island Amusement Park as part of a barbershop quartet. In 1995, Nick Lachey co-founded the boy band with Jeff Timmons, Justin Jeffre, and his younger brother, Drew Lachey. It also included Jonathan Lippman, who later left the group because of his religious beliefs and formed a new Christian band, True Vibe.
Nick Lachey’s Musical Career and Success
98 Degrees released their debut self-titled album in July 1997. Although it charted, peaking at 145 on the Billboard 200, the sophomore album, 98 Degrees and Rising, brought them their first real success. The second album peaked at 14 and was RIAA-certified 4x Platinum. In the next decade, they released two additional studio albums, This Christmas (1999) and Revelation (2000), with the latter becoming their highest charted album on Billboard 200 at number 2.
After Revelation and a compilation album, The Collection (2002), the band took a hiatus in the early 2000s and reunited for a one-off summer show, the Summer Mixtape Festival, in 2012. Nick Lachey began his solo career while the band was on a hiatus. He released his debut solo album, SoulO (2003), which peaked at 51 on the Billboard 200 but was largely regarded as a commercial failure. Since then, Nick Lachey has released an additional three solo albums, with the last album, Soundtrack of My Life, released in 2014.
Nick Lachey’s Television Career and Hosting Roles
Nick Lachey slowly transitioned into television in the late 1990s. He began by appearing as himself in TV shows such as Movie Surfers (1998) and As the World Turns (1999) and was a recurring guest, alongside other members of 98 Degrees, on MTV’s Making the Video (1999–2006). He also appeared in Mad TV (2000–2004), Christmas in Rockefeller Center (2000–2007), and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (2001).
Lachey’s first major TV show was MTV’s reality TV show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, in which he starred alongside his ex-wife, singer and actress Jessica Simpson. The show provided an inside look into their lives and marriage. The show was an instant hit, airing for 3 seasons from August 19, 2003, to March 30, 2005. In the early 2000s, he began hosting a few shows, beginning with one of two episodes. In 2004, Lachey co-hosted Saturday Night Live with Jessica Simpson, and G-Unit was the musical guest for the night.
Besides creating and producing the musical reality TV show Taking the Stage for MTV, Lachey hosted NBC’s The Sing-Off, a competition for a cappella groups, from 2009 to 2014. Before hosting Love Is Blind, its spin-off The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, and Perfect Match, Nick Lachey co-hosted VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live and America’s Most Musical Family. In 2017, Lachey competed in Dancing with the Stars season 25, finishing in ninth place. In 2021, he was also a contestant (as Piglet) on The Masked Singer season 5.
Nick Lachey Also Has an Acting Career
Reality television isn’t all there is to the multifaceted Nick Lachey. In 2004, he landed a recurring role as Leslie St. Claire on The WB fantasy drama series Charmed, joining the show in season 7. The following year, Lachey made his film debut as a Vietnam soldier in Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell-led fantasy romantic comedy Bewitched (2005). In the next two consecutive years, Lachey starred in supporting roles in The Hard Easy (2006) and Rise: Blood Hunter (2007). Over the years, Nick Lachey has guest-starred on several other TV shows, including Hawaii Five-0 (2011), Harvey Girls Forever! (2018–2020), and Alter Ego (2021).
Nick Lachey’s Personal Life and Family
Nick Lachey’s personal life has been as public as his career. After being introduced by their shared manager at a Christmas event in 1998, Lachey and Jessica Simpson married on October 26, 2002. The couple were married for about four years before finalizing their publicized divorce on June 30, 2006. Lachey later reflected on the emotional impact of the divorce, acknowledging the “scars” it left. However, the year wasn’t all gloomy for Lachey as he found love again.
Shortly after releasing his most successful song, “What’s Left of Me,” as a solo artist, Lachey began dating Vanessa Minnillo. The couple met during the music video shoot with Minnillo (who was an MTN VJ), who was featured in the song. Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo married on July 15, 2011, on Sir Richard Branson’s private Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. Like most of his life, the wedding was later televised on TLC. So far, their marriage has produced three children: Camden John Lachey, Brooklyn Elisabeth Lachey, and Phoenix Robert Lachey.
Nick Lachey’s Business Ventures and Net Worth
Nick Lachey has since diversified his career through various business ventures. He was part owner of the Hollywood Fame, a team in the American Basketball Association. Lachey has also been Tacoma Rainiers, a Minor League Baseball team and a Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Nick Lachey is reportedly worth $30 million having a few other investments in several other sectors.
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