Mom's Hawaii Trip, First Class Seat: Jessica Simpson Sets Record Straight

When paparazzi caught wind that Jessica Simpson, 45, was flying first class while her three kids sat in coach on a flight to Hawaii, the internet had opinions. But the singer had a simple explanation: her mom bought the tickets.

On Wednesday, May 20, Simpson cleared the air with photographers, explaining that the seating arrangement wasn’t her call.“My mom bought those tickets. It was my mom’s treat for us to go to Hawaii,”she said, adding that if she’d purchased the tickets herself, she absolutely would’ve sat with Maxwell, 14, Ace, 12, and Birdie, 7.

The whole situation came to light after her ex-husband Nick Lachey, 52, mentioned running into Simpson on the same flight during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live. Lachey was traveling with his wife Vanessa Lachey and their three kids—Camden, 13, Brooklyn, 11, and Phoenix, 9—and confirmed that Simpson’s children and her mom, Tina Ann Drew, were also on board, just in a different cabin. The encounter marked their first meeting in 20 years.“Everyone was very cordial, very respectful,”Lachey recalled of the six-and-a-half-hour journey, describing the whole thing as“honestly…fine.”

The revelation sparked a flurry of fan reactions online, with some playfully defending Simpson’s decision. One commenter wrote,“Mother’s Day gift for the win.. the moms get first class and let the dad deal with kids behind you.”Another chimed in,“Good for her putting the kids in coach LOL she deserves a break.”It’s a relatable take—parenting long-haul flights is no joke, and when your mom’s treating, sometimes the seating chart works itself out in unexpected ways.

Simpson shares her three children with estranged husband Eric Johnson, 46. The couple married in 2014 before splitting in January 2025. As for her history with Lachey, the two met in 1998, got engaged in February 2002, married later that year, and starred together on MTV’s Newlyweds: Nick&Jessica before separating in November 2005 and divorcing in June 2006.