AceShowbiz - Former pop sweethearts Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey narrowly avoided an awkward dinner encounter on Thursday, October 21 when they both showed up at the same Hollywood restaurant with their new partners. The blonde beauty stepped out with new beau Eric Johnson and her mother for a meal at The Red O, and the paparazzi was sent into a spin when Lachey arrived at the venue moments later with his girlfriend, Vanessa Minnillo.

But the "Newlyweds" stars, who divorced in 2006, managed to steer clear of any drama and were seated far away from one another as they dined. A source tells People, "They didn't interact. They didn't even come face-to-face with each other."

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey walked down the aisle on October 26, 2002. They first announced their separation in November, three years after while their divorce was finalized on June 30, 2006. When Simpson filed the papers, she cited "irreconcilable differences."