Nick Lachey ‘Lapping Up the Attention’ After Exposing Jessica Simpson for Not Sitting With Kids on Plane

Nick Lachey‘s recent comments are annoying the heck out of Jessica Simpson, says a source.

During a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the 98 Degrees singer, 52, did more than just confirm rumors that he’d run into his ex-wife, 45, on a six-and-a-half-hour flight to Hawaii, which was initially reported by TMZ in April.

Lachey also revealed that he and his family were sitting in first class with Simpson and her mother, Tina, while her estranged husband, Eric Johnson, and their three children, Maxwell, 14, Ace, 12, and Birdie, were seated in “a separate class of service.”

As In Touch previously reported, the “Take My Breath Away” singer was slammed for the seating arrangement, with fans comparing her to the parents from Home Alone.

“It’s aggravating to say the least,” admits the source. “She could certainly milk this and question his choice as far as elevating small children to first class, but that is not her style.”

Neither is it “to alert people to something like this,” the source continues. “But based on the way Nick is lapping up the attention and giving this air, it’s hard not to suspect he may have been the one to leak [news of their run-in] to boost his own profile.”

Simpson was quizzed about Lachey’s comments by photographers while going through security at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday, May 10.

“My mom bought those tickets. It was my mom’s treat for us to go to Hawaii,” the pop star explained per Page Six, adding that if she had been the one footing the bill, “of course” her children would have sat with her.

“She has no shame over letting her kids fly coach,” adds the source. “They have done nothing to warrant flying first class.”

That being said, “it would be irresponsible to send them with no supervision, so her mom booked Eric back there,” the source notes. “It’s not that deep or scandalous, but somehow Nick is seeing fit to comment,” and so publicly.

“For Jessica, it really feels like he’s trying to use this for a hit of fame, riding on the coattails of their marriage that was over 20 years ago,” says the source.