End of an Era.

If it weren't for me slaving away at my NaNoWriMo story and talking to a friend I haven't seen since the eighth grade, I wouldn't have known of the sad news until tomorrow morning.

I was hoping I wouldn't ever have to say this, but ...

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey Announce Separation To Us Weekly 10pm EST

November 23, New York — A month after Us Weekly first reported on the breakup of Newlyweds Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, the couple has jointly announced an official separation. 'After three years of marriage, and careful thought and consideration, we have decided to part ways,' the couple tells Us in an exclusive joint statement. 'This is the mutual decision of two people with an enormous amount of respect and admiration for each other. We hope that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.' Us Weekly first reported the couple’s split in its October 17 issue; at that time, Lachey's publicist issued a denial of an official separation. Just last week, Lachey partied alone with pals in Miami, on November 22, he attended the American Music Awards without his wife, one day after the New York Post reported that a porn star was peddling a seamy story about her night with Lachey (Lachey's attorney has denied any impropriety). Tellingly, at the AMAs, Simpson's father Joe Simpson told an Us reporter of his daughter's ongoing media scrutiny, 'We are Simpsons, we take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.'

The telegenic couple wed in Austin, Texas in October 2002 in front of 250 guests. 'You don't think it's possible to love the man you're looking at any more. But when you say 'I do,' you somehow end up loving him even more,' Simpson told Us in October of 2004. 'When I walked down the aisle it was like Romeo and Juliet.' The duo became international celebrities by televising their first years of marriage on MTV's Newlyweds. While the show was wildy successful and the duo reaped the benefits of their newfound fame — both released albums and Jessica, who earned $35 million last year, landed a starring role in 2004's Dukes of Hazzard (in contrast, Nick's solo debut, only a paltry 105,000 copies)— reports of trouble have dogged the relationship since the second season of Newlyweds. During the filming of Dukes of Hazzard in the fall of 2004 the couple were apart for months as Simpson stayed onset in Lousiana while Lachey continued to live in Los Angeles. 'We knew when we got married that we both had aspirations in our professional lives,' Lachey told Us in December 2004. 'Some of those dreams are coming true and it means we’re not always together.'

I'm sad. If the two idiots hadn't done The Newlyweds, their relationship would've never been strained. But then again, we probably wouldn't have cared.

I'm going to go mourn their relationship now. Ain't no one gonna love Jessica like Nick did.