(Los Angeles) – Jenny Mollen, an actress known for her role in Dinner and a Movie, has caused a stir after revealing she flew on a plane while infected with head lice. The controversial incident has sparked strong reactions from her followers on social media.
In a video shared on Instagram on October 29, Mollen, 45, is seen wearing a plastic bag over her head while aboard a flight. She appears to be seated in the first class section of the plane and mentions that her friend, Caroline, noticed something on her scalp. Initially, Mollen had thought her itchy scalp was a symptom of perimenopause. However, she later reveals that she had head lice.
“I’m on a plane with Caroline, and she just looked at my head,” Mollen says in the video. “Remember when I told you last week that my head was itchy and I thought I was having perimenopause symptoms? Guess what? I have f***ing lice.”
Mollen goes on to joke about not wanting to publicly name the person she believes gave her the lice but adds, “She knows who she is,” laughing about the situation. She also mentions that the flight is a five-hour journey and jokes about how the flight attendant provided her with a plastic bag to cover her head.
“I’ve been itching for two weeks, so they’ve been living on me for two weeks,” Mollen adds, acknowledging the lice infestation that had been present for some time.
The video quickly sparked a backlash from her followers, many of whom questioned why she chose to board the flight without seeking treatment for the lice. Comments flooded the post, with one person asking, “Why are you on a plane with lice?” and another writing, “Well I certainly would not be on a plane with untreated lice announcing it. Not cool.”
A third follower expressed concerns about catching lice on the plane: “Could you imagine paying for first class to get lice? I’m shook.” One person even admitted that they would never fly without wearing a hoodie again, saying, “Thank you for introducing a brand new fear of mine now – catching lice on a plane.”
The following day, Mollen posted another video showing herself getting her hair treated for lice. She explained that her family, including her husband, actor Jason Biggs, and their two sons, had all been affected by lice. “We’re peeling out the lice. Last night we put the shampoo on and killed everybody… There are seven of us here,” Mollen shared.
In the video, she said that her husband only had “two eggs” in his hair, but both of their children, Side, eight, and Lazlo, five, had a heavier infestation. Mollen also admitted that she didn’t realize she had lice before getting on the plane. She thought her itchy scalp was related to perimenopause and had asked her husband to check her head for lice. However, he didn’t see anything, and it wasn’t until she was on the flight that she discovered the infestation.
“I want to be clear, I didn’t know that I had lice until I was on the airplane,” she clarified. “I thought I was going through perimenopause and for about three weeks I was just itching my scalp.” She added humorously, “Let’s just blame my husband for not looking closely enough at my head.”
Head lice, according to the Mayo Clinic, spread primarily through direct head to head contact but can also be transmitted when personal items such as clothing are stored together. While lice infestations are common, they can be treated with over the counter or prescription medications, and the Mayo Clinic recommends combing wet hair with a fine toothed nit comb to remove lice and some eggs (nits).
Despite her light hearted approach to the situation, Mollen’s decision to board a flight with lice has raised serious concerns among her followers about hygiene and health risks for others on the plane.
