Jessica Simpson files for divorce

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – After a tumultuous three-year
celebrity marriage, actress and singer Jessica Simpson filed
for divorce on Friday from her husband, former pop star Nick
Lachey, citing irreconcilable differences.

The 25-year-old “Dukes of Hazzard” star, whose split with
Lachey, 32, late last month triggered a tabloid frenzy, filed
divorce papers in Los Angeles Superior Court under her married
name, Jessica Simpson Lachey, and asked that her name be
changed back to Simpson.

The couple went from middling pop singers to world famous
celebrities thanks to their reality TV show, “Newlyweds,” on
the MTV cable network. The show centered on their married life
together in a posh Los Angeles area mansion.

While the show made them huge stars, the glare of celebrity
also put a strain on their marriage. In recent months, their
relationship has been splashed across the covers of celebrity
magazines that seemed to track their every move.

On the eve of November’s Thanksgiving holiday, the couple
announced they had separated.

Simpson has hired divorce attorney Robert Kaufman, a
Beverly Hills lawyer with a reputation for representing
celebrity clients.

Simpson began singing in her church choir at age 12. As a
teenager she became a star on the Christian music circuit, and
just ahead of her debut album from a major pop music label,
1999′s “Sweet Kisses,” she toured with boy band 98 Degrees.

Lachey was a member of that quartet, which had already put
out successful albums such as “98 Degrees and Rising” and “The
Christmas.” A later single, “Give Me Just One Night” proved to
be a solid hit before the band broke up.

Simpson and Lachey married in 2002, and their first year of
wedlock was documented on the MTV show. It became an instant
sensation and gave them greater fame than either had achieved
alone.

Since then, Simpson’s career has soared while Lachey’s has
simmered. She earned her first major film role playing sexy
Daisy Duke in the 2005 action film, “The Dukes of Hazzard.” She
has appeared in TV commercials and launched a perfume line.

Together, they appeared in 2004 TV specials “Nick &
Jessica’s Family Christmas” and “The Nick & Jessica Variety
Hour.”

Simpson has also authored a book, “I Do: Achieving Your
Dream Wedding.”