Nick Lachey may have found fame as a member of one of the most iconic pop groups of the ’90s, but his and Vanessa Lachey‘s three kids — sons Camden, 12, and Phoenix, 8, and daughter Brooklyn, 9 — didn’t think he was cool until he was on The Masked Singer.
In an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the former 98 Degrees singer and his wife spoke with guest host Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss about how he earned the seal of approval from his kids.
“Do your kids get who you are? Do they know that you’re famous?” tWitch asked.
“I think they’re starting to,” Nick said of his kids. “But they don’t care. I’ll sing around the house and my son’s like, ‘Dad stop singing, stop singing.’ “
“And you say, ‘My singing put a roof over your head,’ ” Vanessa added.
“It’s funny, they don’t care about 98 Degrees, they don’t care about any of that stuff. But when I did The Masked Singer, that was the moment that Dad became cool with the kids,” Nick continued. “It took dressing up like a pig and singing on national television to be cool to my kids. Whatever it takes.”
In 2021, Nick and Vanessa moved their family to Hawaii after the actress landed the lead role on NCIS: Hawai’i. When Vanessa is filming, Nick is on “daddy duty.” The singer and his three kiddos often spend their days at the pool, horseback riding or surfing.
The proud parents have also posted photos on Instagram of their family vacations, including a June 2023 trip to Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The picture featured Nick and Vanessa, their three kids and some extended family. “2 families, 6 kids, LOTS of laughs & good times!!!” Vanessa wrote in the caption.
Here’s everything to know about Nick and Vanessa Lachey’s kids: Camden, Brooklyn and Phoenix.
Camden John Lachey, 12
Camden John is the pair’s oldest son, born on Sept. 12, 2012.
“We are incredibly proud to announce the birth of our beautiful baby boy, Camden John Lachey,” the Lacheys told PEOPLE in a statement. “Born today at 6:54 p.m., he came into this world at 8 lbs., 9 oz. and 21 inches. Love has truly been redefined for both of us.”
Like his dad, Camden has a confident stage presence. During a 98 Degrees concert in 2019, Nick pulled Camden up on stage to help celebrate his 7th birthday, with the band and the audience singing “Happy Birthday” to him.
Nick also revealed that Camden may have inherited the musical gene.
“Cam, especially, really loves music and singing,” Nick told PEOPLE. “You never want to force your kids to do what you do, but it’s nice when they naturally gravitate to the same passions that you have.”
In February 2022, Nick posted on Instagram, detailing the father and son’s love for the Cincinnati Bengals. In the photos, Camden can be seen sitting on his father’s lap, with Nick placing a kiss on his head.
“Although yesterday’s game clearly didn’t go the way I wanted, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Lachey wrote in the caption. “To share that Super Bowl experience with my son was magical. Confident that we’ll have many more exciting #Bengal games to come!! Forever and always #whodey.”
Brooklyn Elisabeth Lachey, 9
Nick and Vanessa’s daughter, Brooklyn Elisabeth, arrived on Jan. 5, 2015.
“I have been dreaming of this moment for as long as I can remember, the day I was going to meet my little girl,” Vanessa wrote on her website. “A friend recently told me how magical today was going to be because it’s the day I would meet my best friend. I can’t even begin to tell you how it felt to hold her in my arms for the very first time. Mommy, Daddy and big brother Cam love you so much already, Brooklyn!”
Vanessa later spoke to PEOPLE about her daughter. “She’s super intuitive, very smart and very sweet. To see my little girl, I couldn’t be more grateful and thankful that I was given her and that I get to be her mommy,” Vanessa said. “[The kids] have these wonderful personality traits, and I love watching them grow and look up to me.”
Vanessa also said it’s moved her to see Nick be the “best daddy” to Brooklyn.
“If I could intertwine my finger with my arm and my eyes and my legs, that’s what they’re like,” she added. “They are thick as thieves, and I couldn’t be more proud. Her relationship with her dad is going to be the relationship that I believe defines her as a woman.”
On Jan. 5, 2022, the proud parents celebrated Brooklyn’s 8th birthday with sweet Instagram posts. Nick shared a series of photos of his daughter growing up, including an adorable throwback of Brooklyn as a baby riding a carousel animal. In the caption he wrote, “I couldn’t love you more or be more proud of you. No matter how old you get, you will always be my little girl. Please keep being you!!!”
Meanwhile, Vanessa posted a cute snap of the little girl standing with two horses in the snow. “You bring out the best in Me and I will Love You Forever! YOU are My Magic!” the mom of three wrote in the caption.
On Jan. 14, 2023, Vanessa shared a cute photo on her Instagram Story of Nick kissing Brooklyn ahead of a dance. “First Daddy Daughter dance and I’m a mess,” Vanessa captioned the photo.
In another snap, Nick placed a red lei around Brookyln’s neck. “Hawai’i style❤️,” the proud mom wrote.
In August 2023, Nick, Vanessa and Brooklyn attended one of Taylor Swift‘s concerts at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium.
“🫶🏽 @taylorswift A night we will remember forever! Thank you @sofi & @people for this incredible moment! A core memory was created for SURE! 👯♀️🪩🤠,” Vanessa wrote on Instagram alongside a series of photos with Brooklyn.
Phoenix Robert Lachey, 8
The couple’s third child, Phoenix Robert, was born on Dec. 24, 2016.
“It’s a very Merry Christmas indeed!” Vanessa wrote on Instagram, captioning a photo of her new son’s little hand holding her fingers. “We had our Christmas Miracle. Phoenix Robert Lachey decided to show up early and was born on Christmas Eve. Mommy, Daddy, Camden & Brooklyn LOVE You very much!”
Phoenix was born 10 weeks premature and later contracted Respiratory Syncytial Virus, which left him hospitalized shortly after his birth.
“He’s smaller, but he’s healthy. He’s so happy,” Vanessa said in 2018. “Brooklyn and Camden were standing and walking a little bit at this point and he’s not even near that. And I’m okay with that because every kid has their own time and their own moment, and instead of us dwelling on what he’s not doing, we’re just living and relishing in what he is doing.”
“He’s the happiest, most joyful kid ever,” Nick added.
In 2019, Vanessa told PEOPLE that the family goes all out for holidays, and it’s even more of a special time because Phoenix’s birthday is during the holiday season.
“We always love doing family traditions during the holidays, but I think they become even more special because Phoenix was born on Christmas Eve,” she said. “I just love being home with the family. Honestly, it’s go, go, go all year, and it’s really nice that everything shuts down over the holidays.”
In December 2023, both Vanessa and Nick celebrated their youngest’s 7th birthday with a loving joint Instagram post. “He’s our miracle baby that we never take for granted,” the proud parents wrote alongside a series of photos of Phoenix. “The missing piece to our family puzzle, the one who makes us whole… the cherry on top!”
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