It's fair to say that one of the first reality shows we truly adored was MTV's Newlyweds featuring Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.
Perhaps it was because we listened to their music, longed for Simpson's platinum blonde hair or crushed on 98 Degrees, or maybe it was because they really did seem like the perfect couple at the time. Whatever it was, it worked.
However, when they filed for divorce after the third season hit the air, we couldn't help but wonder whether it was all for show.
Now, Sue Kolinksy—a producer who worked on the series all three seasons—has dished the behind-the-scenes secrets to Complex, answering some questions we've been asking since the show ended in 2005.
Having worked on The Osbournes, Kolinksy said she knew the show would be successful from the start.
"It was a whole new genre," she began. "When it comes to reality TV, back then it was at its purest form. Plus, [Nick & Jessica] were perfect because they were polar opposites, they were beautiful, and without even realizing it, they were very funny."
Of course, these days, there's always the question about what's true and what's scripted. One thing Kolinsky can say she believed to be true was Simpson's personality.
"There were times when we were like, 'Hm, does she really not know what this means?'" Kolinsky explained. "I truly believe the whole 'chicken & fish' situation was accurate. She really did not know. I remember there was a scene where there was a dead mouse by their pool and it had been dead for a while. Nick said, 'it's in rigor mortis' and Jessica said, 'Riga-what?' I truly believe she didn't know what that meant."
Kolinsky said the other most obvious note she took away from the show was how different Simpson and Lachey were.
"You could feel there was tension between the two of them," she said. "They were very different people. He was a blue collar guy—he did a lot of things himself, like he and his brother would build things. He was frugal, and she had excessive taste."
She continued, "In the end, they weren't suited for each other. The only thing they really had in common was their music. She was really young; I think he's seven years older than her. He wanted a family, and her father thought maybe she was too young. Her father was very involved in her life."
Read Kolinsky's full interview with Complex here.