Inside Jessica Simpson’s ‘Nice’ and ‘Cordial’ Run-In With Ex-Husband Nick Lachey

Jessica Simpson had a surprise reunion with ex-husband Nick Lachey, Us Weekly can confirm.

Simpson, 45, and Lachey, 52, were on the same flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii late last month. “They actually did say hello, and it was a nice, cordial conversation,” a source told Us.

TMZ was first to report the news on Monday, April 6, claiming that Nick’s wife, Vanessa Lachey, and Simpson’s estranged husband, Eric Johnson, were also on board.

Simpson and Nick became the it couple of the 2000s after they started dating in 1999. The former couple tied the knot in October 2002 before appearing on three seasons of the MTV reality show Newlyweds. They were divorced by June 2006.

Following their divorce, Simpson reflected on her and Nick’s relationship several times over the years. She wrote about their marriage in her February 2020 memoir, Open Book.

“I wanted my marriage to look perfect. I didn’t mind if I looked dumb, but I wanted people to see the fairy tale in Nick. In us,” she wrote of sharing their relationship on TV. “I had the Instagram-girlfriend syndrome before it was a thing, and I wanted the world to see my husband in the best light because I was hopelessly in love with him.”

Simpson claimed that Nick took the divorce harder than she did. (She admitted to having an emotional affair with The Dukes of Hazzard costar Johnny Knoxville in the book.)

“I wish we were the kind of people who could divorce and stay friends,” Simpson wrote. “We weren’t, and I regret that my actions hurt him.”

Nick moved on with Vanessa, 45, whom he married in 2011. The couple share three kids: Camden, 13, Brooklyn, 11 and Phoenix, 9.

Simpson was married to Johnson for 10 years before announcing in January 2025 that they had separated. They share daughters Maxwell, 13, and Birdie, 7, and son Ace, 12.

“Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage,” Simpson told Us in a statement at the time. “Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way, and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family.”

Us confirmed earlier this month that Simpson has moved on with Nashville-based musician Thomas Eisenhood, whom she has been reportedly dating for a few months.