Jessica Simpson Shares Reason Nick Lachey Saw Her Flying Without Kids

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Jessica Simpson finds setting the record straight irresistible.

Jessica Simpson recently responded to comments her ex-husband, Nick Lachey, made about a chance encounter they had on a flight to Hawaii. Lachey described how Simpson traveled in first class while their three children – Maxwell, 14, Ace, 12, and Birdie, 7 – flew with their father, Eric Johnson, in a different section of the plane.

Jessica explained in a May 20th interview with Page Six that her mom paid for their trip to Hawaii. She said it was a gift from her mom to them.

The woman, 45, explained that if she had bought the tickets, her children would definitely have been seated next to her.

Nick, age 52, shared on the May 13th episode of Watch What Happens Live how he ran into his ex-wife, Jessica, twenty years after they divorced. They were married from 2002 to 2006.

He explained to Andy Cohen that after not seeing each other for twenty years, they ended up on a six-and-a-half-hour flight to Hawaii together – though they weren’t necessarily together together, just in the same general area of the plane.

The 98 Degrees member continued, “Everyone was very, very cordial, very respectful.”

Nick was traveling with his whole family—his wife, Vanessa Lachey, whom he married in 2011, and their three children: Camden, 13, Brooklyn, 11, and Phoenix, 9.

“It was strangely OK,” he shared. “It was honestly fine.” 

Jessica is used to handling breakups gracefully. Even after separating from Eric in January 2025, they were able to come together and spend Thanksgiving with family. She explained to TMZ that successfully co-parenting is key to giving their children the consistent love they need.

Jessica explained that children inherit traits from both parents, so it’s important to always be respectful in your words and actions around them. This helps them develop a healthy understanding of people and relationships.

For a closer look at Jessica’s family, read on.

Jessica Simpson celebrated the 44th birthday of her ex-husband, Eric Johnson, with their three children – Maxwell Drew, Ace Knute, and Birdie Mae – on September 15, 2023.

Oh my gosh, Eric just completely owns my heart! I seriously feel like it doesn’t even belong to me anymore, it’s just his! I ended up writing the most embarrassing, but totally heartfelt, birthday message to him – I think I just wrote ‘We love youuuu!’ like, a million times. I can’t help it, I’m obsessed!

Jessica marked her daughter Birdie’s 7th birthday in March 2026 with a sweet Instagram post, calling Birdie one of the funniest people she knows and noting her daughter’s big, expressive emotions.

The family of five enjoyed a fun-in-the-sun getaway—and shared the pics to prove it!—in April 2022.

Jessica shared a sweet Valentine’s Day 2023 photo on Instagram of her daughter, Birdie, wearing Claire’s heart-shaped sunglasses, captioning it “Whole Lotta Love.”

Jessica posted this selfie of herself with Eric and their kids on Easter Sunday 2021.

The family celebrated Birdie Mae’s second birthday in 2021.

Jessica and Eric appeared with Birdie Mae at her second birthday party.

Fans can certainly see a resemblance between these two.

These ladies had a blast during the family’s trip to Hawaii in 2019.

“Besties for life,” Jessica captioned this sweet snap of her two oldest kids.

Summer calls for screaming with your baby sister, duh!

On her seventh birthday, Maxwell ate cake for breakfast and the whole family joined in.

The family was decked out in their Sunday best for Easter 2019.

Private school uniforms never looked so cute!

In January 2019, Jessica had a lovely baby shower with her friends and family to celebrate her soon-to-be-born daughter, Birdie.

“Church ready  #THEJOHNSONS,” the singer wrote on her Instagram. 

Singer Akon is known for hosting great birthday parties. He shared a photo on Instagram from his son Ace’s fifth birthday in June 2018, captioning it, “Baseball and Parrots – a five-year-old’s dream! #ACEKNUTE #5 #Parrotdise #GreenSox.”

In May 2018, the women of the Simpson family and their daughters enjoyed a memorable trip to Disneyland, creating lots of fun experiences they fondly remembered.

While in New York, the family went to see Frozen on Broadway and they were all smiles.

For Maxwell’s sixth birthday the family had a Greatest Showman themed bash and it looked amazing.

A family of four, including a singer and her daughter, posed for a colorful Easter portrait in 2018. They all wore coordinating pink outfits and looked incredibly cute in their matching prints!

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always thrilled to see families embracing seasonal fun! Jess’s children are absolutely adorable in their St. Patrick’s Day outfits – that green and gold is just perfect, and their smiles are infectious! It’s these little moments that make life so special, and they clearly know how to celebrate!

No family does Halloween better than the Simpson-Johnson fam.

A photo shows the partygoers at Ace’s fourth birthday party, which had a Moana theme. The party, held in July 2017, featured actors dressed as Moana and Maui from the movie.

Mermaid magic was the theme of Maxwell’s fifth birthday…can you tell?

The fashion designer playfully captured a behind-the-scenes moment of her children looking their best for school pictures.

Sandy and Danny had a lot to handle with their parrot and octopus kids on Halloween in 2016.

Jess sent a kiss to the camera while her adorable kids struck playful poses during a family vacation. We love seeing these little travel companions!

Marge Simpson shared a photo on Instagram of her two youngest children, Max and Ace, posing with a Woody doll from Toy Story in front of an airplane. She captioned the picture with the hashtags “#maxidrew #aceknute” and “Up Up and Away.”

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2026-05-21 05:50