In 2003, Jessica Simpson asked her then-husband Nick Lachey one of the most iconic questions in reality TV history while eating a bowl of Ocean's Chicken. : "Am I eating chicken or fish?"
More than 20 years later, Simpson now knows that "Sea Chicken" is actually tuna, as she assures fans in the brand's new commercial, which premieres Jan. 11. The multi-hyphenate star of the ad sits on a couch with her 11-year-old daughter Maxwell and asks her what she's eating.
“It’s called Chicken of the Sea, but it’s not really chicken—it’s tuna,” she replied. "So don't be confused about it." Instead, Maxwell was confused by the suggestion and questioned, "Who would be confused about this?" Simpson quickly replied: "No one. Not your mom." with an awkward chuckle. . Then she looked away, the past haunting her.
OG Chicken of the Sea
The OG mistake occurred on the premiere episode of her and Lachey's MTV show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica when Simpson was indulging in "Sea Chicken," but wasn't quite sure if it was tuna or chicken. "I know it's tuna, but it says chicken by the sea," she said. "Is this stupid? What's it called - Chicken of the Shore or Chicken of the Sea?"
Lucky, like all of us, was completely confused. “Chicken of the Sea is the brand,” he said. "You know, because a lot of people eat tuna, just like a lot of people eat chicken. Chicken of the sea." After a moment of silence, Simpson realized. "Oh, I see now. I read it wrong," she said.
Needless to say, Simpson was never able to let go of this. But in recent years, she has come to accept and redeem the gaffe.
In 2016, a meme of a chick swimming in the ocean went viral with the caption "Maybe Jessica Simpson discovered something?" Simpson proudly retweeted the meme on her Instagram with the hashtag #Chickenbythesea.
The next year, Whole Foods recalled the buffalo chicken salad in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York because it actually contained tuna. Simpson shared Time 's headline on Instagram, responding: "It happens to the best of us @wholefoods. It happens to all of us at this moment."
