Jenny Mollen Faces Backlash After Discovering Lice Mid-Flight, Shares Her Journey Online
Jenny Mollen, actress and author, has faced backlash after documenting her head lice infestation while aboard a five-hour flight from Los Angeles to New York City. The 45-year-old, who is married to actor Jason Biggs, shared a video on Instagram from the plane on October 29, revealing her discovery of lice mid-flight. Seated in first class with a plastic bag on her head, Mollen candidly explained the situation to her followers.
In the video, Mollen turned to her travel companion, Caroline, and said, "Remember when I told you last week that I said my head was itchy and I thought I was having perimenopause symptoms? Guess what? I have f—ing lice." She went on to express disbelief, adding, "This is insane, you guys, this is insane. We have a five-hour flight. I'm wearing a bag that these [headphones] came in on my head." She also speculated that the lice had likely been on her scalp for two weeks.
Her revelation sparked outrage online, with several social media users criticizing her decision to stay on the plane after discovering the lice. One commenter wrote, "You shouldn't be on a plane and that bag should be covering ALL your hair!!!" Another added, "That's disgusting. You're going to spread that all over the plane. You should be ashamed of yourself and you're doing a video laughing about it." Others called for her to inform the flight attendants, expressing concerns for nearby passengers.
In a follow-up video posted from her home, Mollen shared that her entire household, including her husband and two children, was infested with lice. While seated with a towel around her shoulders, she explained, "We're peeling out the lice. Last night we put the shampoo on and killed everybody. Now there are dead bodies, and they're being pulled from my head." She revealed that her sons Lazlo, 5, and Sid, 8, had full infestations, while Biggs had only "like two eggs" in his hair.
Mollen defended herself, stating, "I want to be clear, I didn't know that I had lice until I was on the airplane. I thought that I was going through perimenopause and for about three weeks I was just itching my scalp." She jokingly added that her husband was partly to blame, saying, "Let's just blame my husband for not looking closely enough at my head."
According to Cleveland Clinic, lice spread through direct contact or shared personal items like combs and hats. While the insects cannot fly or jump, they can crawl between individuals. To prevent lice, the clinic recommends avoiding shared personal items and seeking immediate treatment if symptoms arise.
