Nick Lachey recently sat down with Details magazine to talk about his new album 'A Father's Lullaby.' But since that's not nearly as interesting as his personal life, it didn't take long for talk to turn to a date he had with Kim Kardashian years ago.

In her book 'Kardashian Konfidential,' Kim "wrote" (or, more likely, relayed to someone else who wrote) that a 2006 outing with Lachey -- who'd just split from ex-wife Jessica Simpson -- is what launched her fame.

From the book:

"Of course the paparazzi took pictures [of our date], because people were curious about who he was with. So the next night I was out with Paris Hilton. We were in her car and the paparazzi started taking pictures. Usually they would shout, 'Paris!' [But] they started yelling 'Kim! Kim!'"

Nick, though, told Details (quotes via Celebitchy) those initial photos of him and Kim together were anything but happenstance.

“Let’s just say this: We went to a movie. No one followed us there. Somehow, mysteriously, when we left, there were 30 photographers waiting outside. [Laughs] There are certain ways to play this game, and some people play it well."

In other words, Kim made sure plenty of professional shutterbugs caught the moment for her scrapbook.

She'd already made her sex tape by then, but needed some name recognition before its release. And what better way to get it than for everyone to see her hanging on the arm of a guy who was already famous?

"Some people play it well," indeed.

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