Nicole on how her nearsightedness helped her deal with the paparazzi:
“I never wore glasses except when I had to read a teleprompter at an awards show or drive, so I didn’t notice much. I could exist in my head. It was kind of my escape from the world and my protection.”

Nicole on how LASIK surgery changed all that:
“I was walking around legally blind. Now I have 20-20 vision. I can’t believe I spent so many years blurry, but I think that coincides with how I was feeling. Now I notice if people are watching me, but I also smile right back if someone waves, which helps.”

Nicole on her first year of marriage:
“They say the first year of marriage is the hardest. Please, God — he’s the most important person in my life, and he says I am for him, and that’s where we’re at. We won’t go more than 12 days apart, ever. The time he went away to rehab was the longest time.”

Nicole on being 40 years old:
“Yipee! I can’t believe I made it. It feels like a long haul to get here. I’m so fine with it. People want you to have some sort of breakdown, but I’m relieved to be 40 years old, and I’ve lived a life.”

Nicole on her kids, Isabella and Conner:
“Yes, they’re being raised as Scientologists. I don’t want to go there.”