Celebrity Couples Go Public With Private Lives
Feb. 13 -- From Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson on MTV's Newlyweds to the anything-but-traditional duo of rock guitarist Dave Navarro and glamour goddess Carmen Electra on Til Death Do Us Part, more and more couples are seeking out reality-show stardom by welcoming the cameras into their homes.
Watch 20/20's full report tonight at 10 p.m.
Til Death Do Us Part is getting viewers ready for a classic reality-show conclusion — Navarro and Electra's wedding — by showing the customary preparations and the out-of-the-ordinary passions of this charismatic star from the group Jane's Addiction and his not-so-blushing bride, best known for her swimsuited stint on Baywatch.
Electra admits she had reservations about doing the series. "I've always had this problem of worrying what people think. … And everyone we talked to said, 'no, don't do it. Please don't do it. What if, you know, what if you guys get divorced?' "
And from the banal to the bizarre, the lives these couples are leading, in front of our eyes, is reinventing modern romance. Welcome to the reality relationship: a uniquely 21st-century style of love where everything's public, nothing seems private, and the happy couple wants you to watch.
"I think it's just a question of voyeurism meets exhibitionism. We're happy and fascinated to watch. … And there are gonna be people who are fascinated to let us in," said Terry Real, a relationship therapist.
Not Just for the Hollywood Set
And the reality-relationship is not just for celebrities. Chris, a 25-year-old freelance illustrator, decided to surprise his longtime live-in girlfriend, Ashley, with a marriage proposal.