Nick Lachey is not someone who is a stranger to the justice system. The singer went through a very high-profile divorce with ex-wife Jessica Simpson. He knows the intense scrutiny that follows a court case or any type of sentencing.
This time, however, the singer faced the justice system for a completely different reason; an altercation.
The incident the singer is getting heat for happened a year ago in March 2022. Lachey was out having dinner with his wife Vanessa Lachey and a friend when he exchanged heated words with a photographer stationed outside the restaurant. The photographer in question was a woman named Jody Santos.
Santos spoke publicly about the incident. She said, “He flipped me off and then I heard Vanessa say, ‘Go get ’em, open the door’ and then he started walking towards my car all aggressive,”. She further explained, “I immediately locked my door and rolled up my window as fast as I could. He then started punching the window. I thought he was going to break his hand, that’s how hard he was hitting the glass. I am surprised he didn’t shatter the window.”
Santos said she had been relieved she rolled up her windows because had she not, she was sure Lachey “would have knocked me out.” The singer also tried to grab Santos’ phone out of her hands through her window and Santos claimed she could smell alcohol on the former 98-Degrees member’s breath.
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Santos was adamant about what the singer did was not right. She said, “Attempting to bust his fist through my car window when all I was doing was taking photographs of him. He should have been thanking me for the free publicity. I mean, really. Talk about an oversized ego.”
As for the singer, he also gave his side of the story regarding the altercation. He took to Twitter to explain what had happened from his perspective. He wrote, “Last night, after enjoying a great dinner with my wife and our dear friend, the paparazzi harassed us as we walked back to our hotel. I clearly overreacted. I’ve been in this game long enough to know that their antics are sadly part of the deal. Stupid of me. Done. However, for TMZ or anyone else to say that I was violent or that I ‘got physical’ with someone is reckless and absolutely false. Once again, TMZ likes to create their own clickbait narrative. Life’s too short, we move on.”
According to recent reports, the singer has been asked to attend 52 sessions of anger management classes and attend AA meetings.
In a statement to the media, the Los Angeles District attorney explained what Nick Lachey would be undergoing, he said, “Mr. Lachey has not been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. Instead he is participating in LADA’s Prefiling Diversion program which was established in 2017. As part of these conditions he must participate in anger management classes and attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. Successful completion of the Prefiling Diversion Program will result in no criminal charges being filed.”
Santos says he must comply and attend these sessions in a reasonable amount of time or the singer might face arrest due to non-compliance.
“Until this day, Nick hasn’t taken any responsibility. He’s justified it. He thought this was done, but it’s not done,” Santos noted. “A personal apology was declined, then a written apology was declined. No one from his team has reached out and asked, ‘Are you OK?'”
She wants the singer to know what he did was wrong. She said she wanted “Nick to know that it’s not OK to come after a photographer, let alone a female one and use foul, sexist language.”
“He needs to take accountability for his actions. It’s one thing to be violent towards a woman and call her foul names, and it’s another when you blame the other person and lie about what really happened,” she added. “He twisted the truth and put the blame on me.”
And in another comment, she stated, “Nick won’t be too happy when he gets snapped going to anger management classes. This all could have been avoided if Nick had just taken responsibility for his behavior. He is not above the law and as a father and a public figure, the least he can do is be a decent human being.”
What do you think about this incident and Nick Lachey’s sentence as a result of it? Let us know in the comments! Share this piece with other friends who are fans of Nick Lachey.
