EXCLUSIVE: Interview with “I Heart Nick Carter” Star Lauren Kitt-Carter
From the Archives: I originally interviewed Lauren Kitt-Carter in September 2014 ahead of the premiere of VH1’s I Heart Nick Carter. As part of my ongoing SandyLo.com archive project, I’m preserving some of my favorite celebrity interviews from over the years. The interview below appears largely as it was originally published in Half Full Magazine, reflecting that moment in time.
Being a longtime Backstreet Boys fan, I knew Lauren Kitt-Carter was stepping into a unique—and sometimes difficult—spotlight when she married Nick Carter. While plenty of fans were supportive of the couple, Lauren also faced her share of criticism and negativity from some corners of the fandom.
When I had the opportunity to interview Lauren ahead of the premiere of I Heart Nick Carter, I wanted to get to know the woman beyond the headlines and fan opinions. We talked about her relationship with Nick, dealing with public scrutiny, her fitness career, and what it was like letting cameras into such a personal part of their lives.
What struck me most during our conversation was Lauren’s confidence and candidness. She was open about the challenges that came with her new level of visibility while maintaining a sense of humor about it all.
Here’s my 2014 conversation with Lauren Kitt-Carter.
First, I would like to say congratulations on your marriage. I’m a huge Backstreet Boys fan and on behalf of the fans, I can tell you there are some who are not mean… [Laughs]
Lauren Kitt-Carter: [Laughs] Yeah, I know, I know. The mean ones tend to be the loudest.
Has it gotten any better?
Lauren: Yeah, it has. It’s calmed down a lot. Maybe their heads just exploded or something. [Laughs]
So, what made you guys want to do the show?
Lauren: Nick really, really wanted to do it and he persuaded me into joining him in the process. I trust him so I went along with him. So really it was Nick wanting to do the reality show. And I even wondered myself why because his experience in the past, from what he’s told me, wasn’t a pleasant one. I think he really wanted to show people his life now and who he really is and our life together. And I wanted to support that.
Very cool. How has the experience been so far?
Lauren: It’s been very cathartic; very pleasant. Our producers Fresh Horses and our show runner Riaz Patel… I think we’re spoiled because they’re just incredible people to work with and they made the entire experience pleasant.
How did you and Nick meet?
Lauren: I was friends with his sister Angel, and I knew her for about a year or so before I was introduced to Nick. When I moved to L.A., Angel and a friend of hers that was dating Aaron really wanted me to kind of go on a double date with them and really wanted to introduce me to Nick. I had just gotten out of a bad relationship and I didn’t really want to date, but they just kept pressuring both of us. Long story short, I met Nick at his house in Santa Monica and he was living with Aaron at the time. We were introduced and we were on his balcony overlooking the ocean and we ended up just talking for hours. Then we realized what time it was, and we went inside and watched a movie. We literally–during that time just talking alone and getting to know each other–we fell in love. There was a point where there was shooting star after shooting star, and we looked over at each other like, ‘Oh crap, this is intense!’ [Laughs]
That’s really awesome and very romantic. I got to watch the first episode and I love it, and I hate reality TV shows. It really has to take something special for me to want to watch it, and to continue watching it. I remember a part where you said you had to give up your career basically, or else you wouldn’t see Nick. Is that still the case or are you still working on your Kitt Fit stuff?
Lauren: When I said I gave up my career, at the time, I was in between careers. I was a veterinary technician specialist and I worked in animal hospitals for ten years. When I moved to Japan when I was 21, I worked for a group of hospitals to teach them Western style medical practices in the veterinary field. So when I moved back to the states, I was kind of sick of doing that, so I was trying to find my way and figure out what I wanted to do. During that process was when I met Nick, so it was just a convenient kind of segue into ‘all right, I’ll just take some time off, figure out what I want to do, and it works for our relationship so I can be with him.’ And in that time, I’ve realized that health and fitness was the way I wanted to go and I can do that when I’m with him on tour.
Very cool! Are you releasing some kind of Kitt Fit line or weight loss program?
Lauren: A lot of people ask me that. I like keeping it free and just posting material up there and not charging anything. Number one, a lot of people say I’m a fitness guru or an expert. I don’t think I’m an expert or a guru. I don’t really think anyone is because it’s a forever evolving industry and we’re always learning things about the human body… what to eat, what not to eat, and what’s better and new things coming out. I just know what works for me, as a former heavy girl. Even now, after we got married, I gained ten pounds because I stopped working out. I ate and drank whatever I wanted. We were on our honeymoon. I just know what it takes and what I need to do to take the weight off again. So that’s why I like sharing, like ‘hey, this is what I do. Every body is different, but maybe if you try this, it could work for you.’ I’ve tried everything. Diet pills, different foods, different weight loss programs, whatever. I kind of like to be a guinea pig and say, ‘this works, try it’.
Since you and Nick started dating, how has he grown?
Lauren: We both have grown leaps and bounds. You’re not the same person you were at 25 when you’re 35. I met Nick when I was 25 and he was 28. I’m 31 now and he’s 34, so I think we’ve grown together. Nick’s grown a lot as far as commitment. As a man, he knows who he is now. He’s very clear-headed and of strong mind. Before, you know, the group [Backstreet Boys] was put together by other people. Other people kind of told them what to do and they went along with it. That was kind of the formula for boy bands back in the day. But now as he’s grown up, he makes decisions on what he wants to do, what he wants to wear, what sound he wants to put out. I think he’s grown into his own in that sense.
And how do you think you’ve grown?
Lauren: I’ve definitely become softer emotionally and I’ve become a lot more vulnerable. I’m a very tough, very hard woman when I met Nick and he’s definitely softened me up and made me sensitive.
Now, a lot of reality shows are staged and embellished. Would you say any of that goes on with “I Heart Nick Carter”?
Lauren: No, not at all. One of my stipulations for doing this show with Nick, and I told him, and the producers… I said I don’t want a staged drama. I don’t want fake anything. I’m not that type of person. So if we’re going to do this, it has to be 100% honest, and authentic, and real. Having said that, we don’t have cameras following us around 24/7, so in some cases, let’s say something happened and the cameras weren’t there to capture it, we would go back and film the exact same thing as it happened, but just not in real-time. Everything is honest. Things happen in real-time, like a meeting, or we’re on tour, or our wedding. But some things are out of our control that we had to re-create, so that we could tell our story.
Well, that makes sense. What do you think people will be most surprised about while watching the show?
Lauren: They’ll probably be surprised that we have the same issues in our relationship that everyone else does. From the smallest little arguments to the biggest ones in life. I also think they’ll be surprised to see how we’re really, really best friends and we really love each other. I think people assume it’s going to be fake and contrived. I think they’ll be surprised to see that we’re totally ourselves and what you see is what you get. How we are on TV show is how we are in real life.
Does that scare you a little bit, sharing your life with the world?
Lauren: Definitely. I love having some sort of anonymity. I think that privacy is wonderful. The scariest thing is, how it could affect my family and friends because I’m very protective of them. I know I get a lot of backlash and a lot of hate on social media and even sometimes in the media, and I’m just Nick’s wife. But if that were to carry on over to my family and friends, I would hate that.
Half Full is all about positivity and going after your dreams. What’s your advice for living life with a “Half Full Attitude”?
Lauren: My advice would be to write down your goals. I am a firm believer in if you want to make something happen, you need to write it down and you need to set short-term and long-term goals in order to make things happen. You can’t just have a dream and assume it’s going to happen because you work hard. You can work really hard, but if you don’t have a plan of execution, it won’t happen. Even after I have accomplished goals, I make a list and I write new ones. In the past, especially with my weight, I used to write down my goals and keep them under my pillow and read them every night so that I would stay focused and on track. It’s like, ‘I will not eat a sundae or have any more junk food this week’. [Laughs] ‘I will drink a gallon of water today and no soda’.
I Heart Nick Carter originally aired on VH1 in 2014.
✨ From the Sandy Lo Archives
For more than two decades, I’ve interviewed musicians, actors, authors, and other pop-culture personalities. I’m preserving some of my favorite conversations here on SandyLo.com—a look back at the stories, stars, and moments I’ve covered throughout my career.
I love you.