Highs and lows. Jessie James Decker‘s family has made headlines over the years, from their once close reality TV bond to a years-long breakup.
The just jessie The author is known for her infectious country songs, Kittenish fashion brand and busy offspring. The ‘Should Have Known Better’ singer – who married a former soccer player Eric Decker in June 2013 – became a reality TV personality in 2013 when E! ordered one Eric and Jessie docuseries to document their wedding plans in Colorado. As the married couple – who share daughter Vivianne and sons Eric and Forrest – recounted the stages of their relationship, their family came along for the ride, including mum Karen Parkersister Sydney Rae Bass (née James) and her brother John James.
“I had shirts printed and one said ‘Maw Maw’ for my mother, and the other said ‘Lala’ for my sister, Bass – who married a baseball player Anthony Bass in January 2017 — said during an episode from September 2017 from the reality series, revealing the gender of her first baby. “My mother is called ‘Maw Maw’ because that was her grandmother’s name and she was one of her favorite people. And my sister [is] ‘Lala.’ I called her ‘Lala’ growing up, I have no idea how I found that, it doesn’t sound like Jessica at all, and we both have ‘Lala’ tattoos.
While Jessie and Sydney’s close sibling bond has been showcased on and off camera, their relationship with younger brother John has been rocky.
“I didn’t think there was a chance that we were all in one room together. Not a chance at all,” John – who is married to Ali James (née Green) – said during an appearance on the “Spillover” podcast in May 2022, revealing that he hadn’t spoken to his siblings in several years. “[My mom] I wanted us all to be together for our anniversary and I was really about to go because I just didn’t want to go and then it was awkward – okay, you know, some of we haven’t spoken in years.
He added: “We decided to do this for her. And it was frankly incredible. It was amazing, not only for us, but also for the kids, like seeing all the kids playing together was… it sounds silly to say, but it was like a dream come true.
The sibling relationship had previously made headlines after Jessie and the family matriarch apparently dumped John and Ali, who share daughters Emmy and Callie, on social media.
Jessie, for her part, rarely addressed the falling out before breaking down in an emotional Instagram post in June 2022.
“A few years ago I had some family issues that I struggled with tremendously that still bring me to tears,” the cookbook author wrote in a lengthy statement on social media. “I would never have chosen to deal with this publicly and open this door to such a personal family matter, but it happened, and it still hurts my heart.”
She continued: “I have a very blessed life with healthy children and an incredibly loving husband. But I really struggled the last two years. My anxiety got worse [as has] my self esteem [and] my confidence.”
Scroll below for a full timeline of the ups and downs of the family relationship: