When love and fame aren't enough

Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson have reportedly decided to call it quits. It shouldn’t come as a blow to the solar plexus, because after all, the divorce rate in this country is at 50 percent, and almost double that in Hollywood. Besides, sometimes love grows and sometimes it fades, quite often during the same evening.

But Nick and Jessica appeared as if they might break the mold. They seemed like they were so happy together. They were always smiling in photos. I’m trying to find out if Ashlee Simpson sang to them at their wedding or at any time during their marriage. From a cosmic standpoint, that would explain everything.

Details are sketchy about exactly why they apparently broke up (and Nick's spokesman says they haven't separated), but it could be any of several reasons that, sooner or later, sabotage the firmest matrimonial bonds in the celebrity world. She is young, blond, rich, famous and beautiful, so there’s always a chance that another suitor may have been tempted to dip a toe into that marital pond.

Nick is handsome and personable, and is also rich and famous — exactly why is a topic for another day — and perhaps he found truth in the male adage about the perfect female, paraphrased for a family audience, that goes like this: “No matter how attractive she may be, there is a gentleman out there somewhere who is weary of sharing her bed.”

The most disappointing angle to the Nick-Jessica news is the impact it will have on other celebrity couples. They had a show called “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica,” which served as romantic inspiration for lovers everywhere. On it, Nick and Jessica did all sorts of fun things together, like camping, decorating the house together, shopping, golfing, and my favorite, “Puppy Madness,” in which they searched for the perfect pooch and Jess came to the conclusion that she prefers smaller dogs because they produce smaller poop.

How does a guy walk away from a girl like that?

If they can’t make it work, who’s next? Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston went their separate ways recently, but that was understandable. Besides being gorgeous and wealthy beyond belief, they had the added burden of talent. They both can act, and were often asked to do so in meaningful projects. That kind of pressure to keep a marriage together while doing quality work created an unbearable strain, which Nick and Jessica apparently avoided by doing projects like “I Love The ‘80s Strikes Back” and “Bubblegum Babylon,” respectively.

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