Celebrity Divorce

TMZ has obtained Richie Sambora's legal response to Heather Locklear's divorce petition, and it's a sign of trouble.

Sambora is asking the court for joint physical custody of their eight-year-old daughter, Ava. In her petition, Locklear asked for sole physical custody.

Sambora claims the couple separated the day after Christmas last year. He also confirms what Locklear claimed -- that the couple signed a prenup on December 14, 1994. They married the next day.

Jessica Simpson officially filed for divorce Friday from Nick Lachey, her husband of three years. The papers, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, cite "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split.

The couple rose to stardom together as MTV chronicled their first years of marriage on the reality show 'Newlyweds.' Each had enjoyed success in the singing world -- him as a member of the hit group 98 Degrees and her with a fledgling solo career -- but the two rocketed to fame on their reality show.

Their relationship began to falter recently, as rumors circulated of reported infidelity and meddling by Jessica's father and manager Joe Simpson. Innuendo and the stress of celebrity apparently got to the couple, as a permanent split soon seemd a foregone conclusion.

Documents
Jessica's court documents, filed Dec. 16

Video
The way they were...