Nick Lachey is finally facing the music after a tussle with a paparazzo last year left him with assault and battery charges. The Love is Blind host has been ordered to attend anger management classes and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings following the assault.
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In March 2022, Nick was caught on camera assaulting a photographer.
In video footage obtained by TMZ, Nick got aggressive toward a female paparazzo who was following him and his wife, Vanessa, home from dinner. He can be seen yelling at the woman and punching her car before he went back and tried to take her phone through the car's window.
The paparazzo later said that she could smell alcohol on Nick's breath during the altercation.
He later owned up to his actions.
After the incident, Nick took to Twitter to explain what happened.
"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," the former boybander wrote. "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."
Now, Nick is facing a few court-ordered consequences.
Nick will avoid criminal charges being filed by attending AA and 52 sessions of anger management classes, Page Six reported.
"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," the Los Angeles County district attorney's office told the news outlet. "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."
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The paparazzo isn't impressed with Nick's punishment.
As photographer Jody Santos told the Daily Mail, she doesn't believe the punishment fits the crime.
"Until this day, Nick hasn't taken any responsibility. He's justified it. He thought this was done, but it's not done," she said.
"He's had plenty of time to apologize, but instead he just figured I would go away. What he did was wrong," she added. "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."
Nick reportedly has one year to complete his classes.
"He has to complete them within a reasonable time which is like a year or so. If he fails to do so, they will move forward to prosecute him with non-compliance and he will get arrested," Santos said.
Here's hoping Nick is taking this seriously or this might not be the end of the consequences he faces from this incident.
