Awkward or amicable? Exes Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey reportedly share flight to Hawaii

Kathleen PerriconeTue, April 7, 2026 at 7:54 PM UTC

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Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey in 2003Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Friendly exes in the friendly skies?

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey reportedly spent more than five hours together on the same flight from Los Angeles to Kauai, Hawaii — just a few seats apart from each other in first class, no less.

But whether or not the former Newlyweds interacted depends on who you believe.

According to TMZ, which first broke the news, it was "awkward" between Simpson and Lachey, who was flying with his wife of 15 years, Vanessa Lachey. "Despite being in close quarters, we're told the exes went out of their way to avoid each other the entire time," the site reported.

Nick and Vanessa Lachey in 2025Credit: Marleen Moise/Getty

Sources also told TMZ that Simpson switched seats with someone in her party to put even more distance between her and Lachey, to whom she was married from 2002-2006.

Us Weekly tells a different story of what went down in first class.

"They actually did say hello, and it was a nice, cordial conversation," reports the magazine, citing a source.

Representatives for Simpson and Lachey did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment.

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The current Mrs. Lachey posted a photo seemingly from their Hawaiian getaway. "April 1st full moon… I see you & I’m fired up!!!" she captioned the beachfront snapshot.

No word on whether Nick and Vanessa, who co-host Netflix's Love Is Blind, also ended up at the same hotel as his ex-wife.

Perhaps even more interesting is that Simpson's estranged husband, Eric Johnson, was also on the flight. He was seated in coach, however.

The pair, who share three children, separated in January 2025 after a decade of marriage, yet still live under the same roof, PEOPLE recently reported.

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson in 2017Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty for Jessica Simpson Collection

"The goal has been to keep everything as stable and as friendly for the kids as possible," a source told the magazine. "They still have a great relationship. They're still co-parenting. The main goal is the kids, but they're moving toward next steps," which would be selling the $17.9 million home in Hidden Hills, Calif.

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Simpson, who returned to music last year with the five-song Nashville Canyon, Pt. 1, is reportedly dating Tennessee-based musician Thomas Eisenhood. "She's happy,” a source told PEOPLE. "She's in a great place, excited for her future."

on Entertainment Weekly

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”