Vanessa Minnillo credits boyfriend Nick Lachey with helping her overcome the embarrassment of leaked pictures of her cavorting with Lindsay Lohan.

Pictures of Minnillo and Lohan playing with knives and pulling at each others' tops at New York club Bungalow in June last year were leaked onto the internet last month.

And Minnillo says she only got through the ordeal with the support of Lachey, whom she has been dating for a year.

She says, "It was a tough time. I want people to see me for who I am."

"When a photo like that gets more press than you do it's sad. Nick said to me: 'This is one bad chapter is a book of your life.' It was a period of seconds, over a year ago."

"Yes of course, it was bad judgement. I was embarrassed."