In a move that deliciously closes the loop on one of reality television's most enduring blunders, Jessica Simpson has announced a forthcoming collaboration with the canned tuna brand Chicken Of The Sea. The announcement comes a full 22 years after the singer and TV personality famously confused the brand's tuna for chicken on her hit MTV show.
From Viral Blunder to Brand Partnership
The 45-year-old star made the surprise announcement on Tuesday via her Instagram page, which boasts a following of 6.2 million. Simpson cryptically wrote to her fans: 'New collab coming soon! I'll give you a hint… It's Mermaid Approved!' The post featured a series of glamorous photos from a recent Chicken Of The Sea event, where Simpson modelled a flirtatious black mini-dress adorned with feather trim.
In several shots, she was seen posing with a packet of the brand's Wild Caught Light Tuna, seasoned with Frank's RedHot sauce. The singer showcased a new light brunette hairstyle, a departure from her signature bleach blonde, in close-up selfies that highlighted her makeup and hair.
A Moment Etched in Pop Culture History
The origin of this unlikely partnership dates back to a 2003 episode of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. A then-23-year-old Simpson, while eating from a can of Chicken Of The Sea tuna, turned to her then-husband Nick Lachey and asked the now-legendary question: 'Is this chicken what I have or is it fish?' Lachey's bemused clarification that it was, in fact, tuna created a pop culture moment that has followed Simpson for over two decades.
Fans were quick to celebrate the full-circle announcement, flooding the comments section with words like 'finally' and hailing the upcoming collaboration as 'iconic.'
Building on a Playful Legacy
While the exact nature of the 2026 collaboration remains under wraps, this is not Simpson's first official engagement with the brand. In 2024, she starred in a humorous advertisement alongside her 13-year-old daughter, Maxwell, directly poking fun at the original incident. In the ad, Simpson assures her daughter that the 'Chicken of the Sea' product is tuna, not chicken, before breaking the fourth wall to tell the audience she definitely knows 'it’s tuna' now.
The announcement caps off a period of significant professional activity for Simpson, who finalised her divorce from former NFL star Eric Johnson in January 2025 after a decade of marriage. The mother-of-three has been forging a major comeback, which includes work on a new album and a guest appearance on Kim Kardashian's Hulu series, All's Fair.
When recently questioned by TMZ about a potential return to reality TV as The Bachelorette, Simpson played coy, stating, 'I have options, I'm good,' and dismissing the lure of 'huge ratings.' For now, it seems her focus is on this long-awaited and perfectly meta partnership, proving that sometimes, the best way to address a past mistake is to embrace it with humour and style.
