Nick LacheyA friend of Nick Lachey’s is denying that Nick got involved with Vanessa Minnillo before he split from wife Jessica Simpson.

Life & Style magazine is reporting that Jessica believes Nick had an affair with Vanessa but a source close to Nick is denying it:

“He loved [Jessica] throughout the marriage and still does. She’s the one that decided to get a divorce. It wasn’t Nick’s decision.”

But the friend is not denying Nick’s much-photographed relationship with Vanessa now: “He lost the love of his life. That boy needs someone to make him smile.”

Meanwhile, Jessica is playing down reports that she is dating Jared Leto. The couple were rumoured to be dating after being spotted together recently. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show in Los Angeles, when asked about it, Jessica gasped “Don’t ask me about that! It was just a night out!”

Ryan pushed further, asking: “So you guys were at the same place at the same time?” but Jessica just replied: “We were, isn’t that a coincidence? We said ‘Hi’ and gave each other a hug and somehow it became this whole huge story. He’s a friend.”