Getty, Chicken of the Sea/YouTube
Tuna or Chicken? Jessica Simpson Pays Iconic ‘Newlyweds’ Homage in New Chicken of the Sea Ad
When life gives you tuna – make a commercial! Jessica Simpson had one of the first iconic reality TV moments during season 1 of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with ex-husband Nick Lachey. While munching on a can of tuna, Jessica asked the 98 Degrees singer, “Is this chicken what I have, or is this fish? I know it’s tuna, but it says chicken by the sea. Is that stupid?” Now, the Texas native has teamed up with Chicken of the Sea and starred in the food company’s newest commercial alongside eldest daughter Maxwell “Maxi” Drew, 11.
“Mom, what are you eating in the packet?” Maxwell asked her mom as they sat on a couch in the living room and Jessica, 40, was positioned in the same place as the infamous 2003 scene.
“It’s called Chicken of the Sea, but it’s not really chicken. It’s tuna,” Jessica replied, adding, “So don’t get confused by it.” The tween questioned, “Who would get confused by that?” leading the “With You” singer to respond, “No one. Not your Mom,” before blankly staring off into the distance.
Chicken of the Sea’s director of marketing, Griffin Raasch, gushed, “It seemed perfectly fitting to partner with our friend Jessica Simpson to share how Chicken of the Sea fits into her busy life as a mom, artist and entrepreneur.” She continued in a statement, “Her iconic ‘is it chicken or is it fish?’ moment is part of the fabric of pop culture, and we had a lot of fun working with Jessica to give it a new spin in 2024.”
At the end of the ad, Jessica shared that the product “has lean protein” and keeps her “fueled as a working mom.” The tasty snack has seemingly helped the Employee of the Month actress maintain her amazing 100-pound weight loss transformation after welcoming her youngest child, daughter Birdie Mae, 4, in 2019.
Jessica shares kids Maxwell, Birdie and son Ace, 10, with husband Eric Johnson.
The former MTV star’s personal trainer, Harley Pasternak, detailed how he helped Jessica reach her health and fitness goals – and it didn’t include excessive dietary restrictions. In fact, the celebrity fitness guru revealed that Jessica walked 12,000 steps a day, which helped allow the Hollywood star to enjoy the foods she loves.
“Meals had protein, fiber and healthy fat,” Harley, 49, explained during a September 2019 appearance on Good Morning America. “Snacks had protein and fat or protein and fiber. We did not diet in a tasteless, extreme, radical way. Jessica loves Tex-Mex flavors so she had a lot of healthy versions.”
In September 2022, Jessica admitted that she felt “like her old self” before she gave birth to her three children and had “hormones going wild.”
“I feel younger, actually. I have a lot more energy and yeah, I get to wear all the clothes that are in storage that I saved for Maxwell and Birdie,” she gushed to Extra. “Maybe Birdie will outgrow them because Maxwell has already outgrown me!”
