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Nick Lachey is opening up about the lasting impacts of his marriage to Jessica Simpson that have left him with "scars."
Lachey made a rare comment about his marriage to the "With You" singer while speaking to a contestant on season three of Netflix's dating reality series The Ultimatum about the hurt one may feel following the collapse of a longtime relationship and the apprehension about starting to date again, per E! News.
"I, too, was previously married, divorced, so I understand the hurt, the scars that exist from that," he said.
The 98 Degrees singer said that just because you may have been burned in the past doesn't mean you should let it affect your chance at finding new love, citing his marriage to current wife and The Ultimatum co-host Vanessa Lachey.
"Don't let your past define your future," he said. "What I truly always wanted in my life, which was to have a beautiful marriage and a beautiful family, if I hadn't retained my belief in that, I wouldn't have ever realized the beautiful life I have with this woman."
Lachey and Simpson tied the knot in 2002, six years after first meting at the Hollywood Christmas Parade, and the realities of their marriage was showcased on their show Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica. However, their relationship came to an end a few years later after Simpson filed for divorce in 2005, citing "irreconcilable differences."
Since their split, both Lachey and Simpson have moved on with other partners. Lachey married Vanessa in 2011 and have gone on to welcome three children, sons Camden, 12, and Phoenix, 7, and daughter Brooklyn, 9. Simpson has been married to Eric Johnson since 2014 and they share three children as well: 12-year-old daughter Maxwell "Maxi" Drew, 11-year-old son Ace Knute and 5-year-old daughter Birdie Mae.