Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson’s divorce was finalized in early July. Nick was offered an insulting $1.5 million settlement by Jessica’s creepy father, Joe Simpson, in early June. The couples joint assets are valued at well over $30 million, so that was truly a piss poor amount. (Albeit one that would change most anyone else’s life.)

Nick was said to be holding out for a relatively paltry $8 million, which he lowered to just $5 million.

Now Nick and Jessica have reached an undisclosed settlement, but Nick’s share is said to be well less than half of the couple’s assets:

Lachey’s people could have leaked that news to make him seem like a good guy, but he is a good guy. There’s no blaming Simpson, since she generally seems to do what people tell her and simple math is probably way above her head. Now she’ll have more cash to buy terrible ill-fitting fashion thanks to her daddy playing hardball.

Here is Jessica in NY yesterday. Photos courtesy of SweetKisses.net

We weren’t holding our breath, but we were kind of hoping Nick and Jessica would get back together. Jessica wore her wedding ring around her neck for a while, and Nick told Rolling Stone that he still loved his wife of two years, but ultimately Jessica’s immaturity and Nick’s wild oats won out and now the two are officially divorced. The divorce was made final on June 30. No word yet as to the settlement amount. Jessica’s dad tried to low-ball Nick into accepting a $1.5 million settlement, while Nick is said to have asked for a more realistic $8 million that he lowered to $5 million.

Nick is dating MTV VJ Vanessa Minnillo while Jessica may be with her co-star in the upcoming film “Employee of the Month,” comedian Dane Cook. Cook was involved with someone else at the time of filming, but is now single and said to be getting cosy with Jessica.

This is sad news for Nick and Jessica fans, and should serve as a warning to all women who try to hold out before marriage and then get married young because they can’t wait.

Here is Jessica in NY on 6/28. She’s wearing the deadly long jeans/platform sandals combo that caused Britney’s near baby-drop. Nick Lachey is shown performing a private concert for Q-100 listeners on 6/29.

Nick Lachey hooked up with MTV VJ and former fling Vanessa Minnillo in Atlantic City after meeting up with her at a club on Sunday night. They left together and things must have heated up quickly for the pair, because they were then spotted in Mexico together according to PerezHilton:

It is difficult to tell whether they were in Mexico first and planned to meet up at the club, or if they met in Atlantic City and promptly jetted off to the vacation spot. Either way, it looks like they’re back together and that this means curtains for Nick’s relationship with stylist Kim Kardashian.

Kardashian, who was linked to Nick after a romantic movie date on May 24th, has been seen out shopping and attending events with Paris Hilton. Her friendship with the flightly self-centered heiress couldn’t have helped her relationship with Lachey, whose friends thought Kardshian’s status as an outsider from the usual Hollywood circle was part of what made her attractive to Lachey. Kardashian’s gorgeous looks couldn’t have hurt, either.

This is also bad news for poor Jessica Simpson. She seems to have come to terms with the fact that it’s over between her and Nick, because she may have approved of his relationship with Kardashian. Jessica reportedly sent her best friend and ex-assistant Cacee Cobb to check out Kardashian for her, and Cacee is said to have called Kim “nice.” Nick and Jessica’s divorce may be final on June 17th, and it looks like Nick is moving on with style.

Here is Lachey promoting his album at Lucky Strike lanes in Chicago on June 12th and at the Borgata Hotel Casino fight weekend after party on June 11th. He is shown with Tyson Beckford. The poor quality inset images are of Minnillo and Lachey in Cabo San Lucas.

Jessica Simpson has been seen out looking unhappy and disheveled, and people suggested that she’s been seeing a therapist. Jessica has admitted to psychotherapy in the past, making it likely that she’s getting professional help during a difficult divorce.

When she was photographed leaving a medical clinic on May 29th she may have been seeing a doctor, not a psychiatrist as was suggested. A source told Britain’s OK magazine that Simpson underwent testing for a stomach ulcer. There is no word as to whether she suffered from an ulcer or was treated for it.

As Jessica and Nick get closer to reaching a settlement in their divorce Life and Style is reporting that Jessica has been calling Nick for long conversations late at night. She’s been known to drink and dial, so this could be true:

Nick and Jessica have gone back and forth trying to reach a divorce settlement, with Jessica most recently offering Nick an insulting $1.5 million, which he declined. He is entitled to half her earnings during their three year marriage, and she is said to have made $30 million last year.

If this report is true about Nick and Jessica talking frequently, Nick must realize that Jessica is letting her father Joe run the show as usual and is not responsible for trying to low-ball the divorce settlement.

Nick has moved on to a gorgeous new brunette, Kim Kardashian, while Jessica is single after being dumped by Maroon 5 frontman, Adam Levine. We think Nick feels for Jessica but that he’s not going to get back together with her.

Here’s Simpson at the CFDA fashion awards in NY last night. She seems happier, and it may be because she’s hanging out with her hairdresser, Ken Paves, who is visible is in the background. She looks a lot like Eva Mendes with her hair up like that.

This is not news, but it does confirm that Kim Kardashian’s eBay ID is *styleworld* (with asterisks around it) as we reported yesterday. She was seen out in the Christian Louboutin platform espadrilles, size 9, that she bought on eBay on April 24th for $445.00 plus $16.95 shipping.

Kim, 25, attended the “Entourage” LA premiere on 6/1 wearing the overpriced but discounted shoes. She was hanging out with Paris Hilton at the event. She is dating Nick Lachey and is the daughter of O.J. Simpson lawyer, Robert Kardashian.

Related:

Nick Lachey’s new girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, attended the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1996 launch with Paris Hilton on June 2nd in Beverly Hills. She was photographed the day before at the “Entourage” LA premiere with Paris, suggesting the two are friends now. Paris may not be befriending Kim just because she’s Nick Lachey’s girlfriend and is in all the gossip mags this week – Kim was seen posing with Paris and her good friend Caroline D’Amore at the NFL draft party for Paris’ then-boyfriend, Matt Leinart. Nick Lachey was also at the party on May 2nd, and People reports that was where he met Kim.

The first four photographs are HQ [via], the rest are smaller.

Related:

Kim Kardashian is currently dating Nick Lachey and she’s the top search phrase now leading people to this site. People are interested in her, so here’s a bit of semi-personal Internet data on the 25 year-old daughter of O.J. Simpson lawyer Robert Kardashian:

Jessica Simpson has reportedly offered Nick Lachey a laughable $1.5 million to settle their divorce amicably. She is said to have made $30 million last year alone, and Nick is legally entitled to half of her earnings during their marriage of over three years. It sounds like Jessica’s father is pressuring her to try to get Nick to settle cheaply:

Sources say Nick will not ask for spousal support, but that he’s not stupid enough to settle for such a low amount. Two weeks ago he was said to be seeking a relatively low $8 million settlement in an effort to get his hands on some quick cash and avoid losing his property. The National Enquirer reported that Nick lowered his settlement request to $5 million hoping that would be a reasonable sum for Jessica.

It seems like Nick is being reasonable and Jessica is being pressured by her family as usual to low-ball the settlement. TMZ quotes Jessica:

Her daddy must not agree.

Meanwhile Jessica may have lost her best friend, hairdresser Ken Paves, to her scheming sister. She lost her other best friend, her assistant Cacee Cobb, less than a month ago. She has been seen out shopping unkempt and alone, and bought up a bunch of “Team Jessica” shirts at an LA Boutique. She is also said to be seeing a therapist to help cope wtih the depression from her divorce and to come to terms with her identity.

Nick, however, has a hot new girlfriend and a successful new album.

Here’s Jessica wearing Ugg-ly boots on a hot day in Hollywood. [via]

You’ve probably already heard that Nick Lachey took Kimberly Kardashian, the daughter of OJ SImpson lawyer Robert Kardashian, 25, out to see the DaVinci Code on May 24th. It seemed to be a serious date, and Lachey is said to be enamored with Kardashian.

The source says that “Kim couldn’t care less about the Hollywood scene,” but here she is partying it up with Paris Hilton and her best buddy Caroline D’Amore at Matt Leinart’s NFL Draft Party at Pure on May 2nd. Nick Lachey was there too, and that may have been where the two met.

Nick and Kimberly were said to be holding hands and getting cuddly on their date:

That’s cute and maybe things will work out for Lachey. He doesn’t like being single, and it doesn’t seem like he will be for long.

Here’s Kardashian partying with Paris and Caroline.

Update: Images removed upon request

Related:

Nick Lachey is said to want a quick divorce from Jessica Simpson, and is asking for an $8 million settlement that will help him get out of debt and keep his property:

Star Magazine speculates that Nick may want out of the marriage quickly so that he’ll be free to date Jessica’s ex-assistant Cacee Cobb.

There doesn’t seem to be much truth in reports that Nick and Cacee are an item, though. They were seen talking for a 1/2 hour at a club, but they’re old friends. People quotes a source that denies that they’re an item, and we’re inclined to agree.

Nick recently said the he can’t imagine not getting married again, but that just seems to be the type of guy he is, and he probably doesn’t have anyone in mind. He was said to have flirted with plenty of women at his CD release party.

It seems like Nick’s push to divorce Jessica is all about money.

Here is Jessica in NY on May 12th, [via]