Nick Lachey‘s first marriage doesn’t seem so irresistible in hindsight.
The 98 Degrees singer—who was married to Jessica Simpson from 2002 to 2006—recently shared a small glimpse into their relationship, saying that he still deals with the lingering pain of their split nearly two decades later.
“I, too, was previously married, divorced,” Nick told a contestant on season three of The Ultimatum, now on Netflix, “so I understand the hurt, the scars that exist from that.”
He ultimately had to put those fears aside before marrying second wife Vanessa Lachey in 2011.
“Don’t let your past define your future,” Nick shared. “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.”
Nick, 51, and Jessica, 44, first met at a Hollywood Christmas Parade in Los Angeles in 1998 before he popped the question in February 2002.