The photographer, who was approached by Nick Lachey while taking pictures in Beverly Hills over the weekend, told that she feared the singer would “knock out” her during the violent altercation.
Lachey, 48, was caught on video losing his temper with Jody Santos, engaging in a nasty rant and attempting to steal her phone from her car after he was spotted having dinner with wife Vanessa on Sunday night.
In a video shared on social media, the Love is Blind presenter can be seen approaching the woman and calling her a “P***y Mother F***er” before she gets into her vehicle grabs.
Santos, a veteran paparazzi, told in an exclusive interview that she is still haunted by the Oscars night incident.
Nick Lachey was spotted losing his temper with a photographer before attempting to steal her phone while going out on a night out in Beverly Hills
Lachey, 48, was seen knocking out paparazzi after he was snapped leaving Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills on Sunday night
The former pop star lost his calm after seeing photographers snapping pictures of him and his wife during their dinner
“I’m still shocked by it. I really thought Nick was going to put his fist through my car window,” Santos said.
“In all my years of photographing celebrities, no one has ever tried to hit me. I’m just relieved that I rolled up my window so quickly, otherwise he would have knocked me unconscious. There is no doubt about it.’
Veteran celebrity photographer Jody Santos told she was still “shocked” by the incident
Santos, who has been in the paparazzi business for 18 years, said it’s common in her job to drive through celebrity hotspots at night and snap photos of stars exiting fancy restaurants.
Driving through Beverly Hills on Sunday, she spotted Lachey and his wife Vanessa exiting the popular Mastro’s Steakhouse, where a 4-ounce Kobe steak can cost up to $240 and garlic mashed potatoes are $15.
Santos said she stopped across the street and started taking photos, but what happened next came as a complete shock to her.
“Nick isn’t really on the radar. I just saw him and thought I’d take a picture of a couple coming out of a restaurant,” she said.
“I’ve taken pictures of him many times and never had a problem, but this time was different.
“He tuned me out and then I heard Vanessa say, ‘Go get her, open the door,’ and then he aggressively walked towards my car.
“I immediately locked my door and rolled up my window as fast as I could. Then he starts banging on the window. I thought he was going to break his hand from hitting the glass so hard. I’m surprised he didn’t smash the window.”
Santos said she waited for Lachey to walk away before rolling down her window and asking him, “Why are you so mean to me, you used to be so nice? Why did you hit my window?’
Jody Santos told she has snapped Lachey in public “many times” in the past with no problem
The paparazzi claimed Vanessa Lachey “godded on” her husband and encouraged him to take action
The photographer was driving through Beverly Hills when she saw Nick and Vanessa exiting the popular Mastro’s Steakhouse, where a 4oz. Kobe steak can cost as much as $240
From then on the situation escalated.
“I thought he was going away. I had no idea he would turn around and come back, but that’s what happened,” said Santos.
“And this time he called me ***y motherfu***er, stuck his arm out my car window and tried to snatch my phone.
“He couldn’t get it because it was strapped around my neck and I was trying to lean towards the passenger side as best I could.”
Santos said she believes Lachey was drinking before the confrontation.
“I could definitely smell alcohol on his breath,” she added. “Then he asked me, ‘Are the paparazzi still there?’ and I said yes, that’s why I’m here. I’m a photographer.’
Santos, who has been in the paparazzi business for 18 years, said it’s common in her job to drive through celebrity hotspots at night and snap photos of stars exiting fancy restaurants. She is pictured at right with singer Lana Del Rey
After footage of the altercation made headlines Monday, Lachey took to Twitter to address the incident and admit that he had “overreacted.”
He then hinted that he had been harassed by the paparazzi, writing: “Last night after enjoying a great dinner with my wife and our dear friend, the paparazzi harassed us as we were walking back to our hotel.
“I clearly overreacted. I’ve been in this game long enough to know that their antics are unfortunately part of the deal. stupid of me Did.’
But the tweet drew criticism from social media users, as well as from Santos, who slammed his claims that she molested him from her car.
“We were just the two of us. [There were] two photographers and we were just doing our job. I basically gave Nick free publicity with a possible story about a celebrity couple going out for dinner,” Santos said.
“Shame on Nick for not taking responsibility, apologizing to me and blaming me. Not to mention invading my personal space, trying to hit me and stealing my phone.
Lachey addressed the incident in a tweet on Monday, admitting he “overreacted” but claimed he was “harassed.”
Lachey’s tweet did not go down well with critics, who believed he reacted aggressively, despite the photographer maintaining a reasonable distance
“When can a man do this to a woman? Never. His last word is “done”. I want him to know I’m not done yet. And if he’s contacted by the police, he’ll find he’s not done,” she added.
Nick and Vanessa Lachey at the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards
Two days later, on March 29, the celebrity couple took to social media to announce their new Netflix show The Ultimatum, on which they both appear as hosts.
Earlier in the day, Lachey – Jessica Simpson’s ex-husband – once again defended his actions in a follow-up tweet, implying he had been the victim of a clickbait narrative and that it was “reckless” and “absolutely wrong.” ‘ said that saying so during his altercation with the photographer was violent or physical.
But Santos said the statement was another example of Lachey shifting blame and not taking responsibility for his actions.
“Nick had time to promote his new show on social media, but he didn’t have time to get back to me and apologize,” she said. “Instead, he twisted the truth and blamed me.
“First I want an apology from him, and then I want him to know that it’s not okay to stalk a photographer, let alone a female one, and to use offensive, sexist language. He must take responsibility for his actions.
“It’s one thing to be violent towards a woman and call her names, and it’s another to blame the other person and lie about what really happened.”
Two days after the incident, Lachey and his wife Vanessa took to social media to announce their new Netflix show The Ultimatum, which they will both be hosting
The couple, who tied the knot in 2011, are set to host a new reality show after appearing as hosts on the hit Netflix series Love is Blind
“Is that really the picture you want kids to see? That he thinks it’s okay to treat a woman like that and then blame her? And what’s up with Vanessa goading him?’
Lachey’s tweet didn’t go down well with critics, who believed the photographer kept an appropriate distance while taking pictures, and urged the former pop star to issue a personal apology.
‘[You] They left out the part about her in her car (without bothering you), you were drunk and called her a very misogynist name and reached into her car and tried to take her phone,” said one user.
“She didn’t deserve to be attacked. She was literally in the car, quite a distance from them. He had to run across the street to reach into her car/bang on the window. I wish people would stop acting like violence is okay when they are inconvenienced,” said another.