Jessie James Decker is a country music singer who is married to Eric Decker, a former NFL player. Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of either of them. They weren’t ringing any bells for me, either, until I did some Googling and had a moment of, “Ooooh, these are those people!” You may remember Eric and Jessie from headlines back in 2017 when they spoke out against taking a knee at football games. Yeah, those guys.
Anyway, Jessie and Eric have been married since June 2013 and have three children, ages 9, 7, and 5. They recently announced that they’re expecting their fourth child and shared during an Instagram Q&A that the pregnancy was unplanned. Apparently the news was so unexpected that even Eric didn’t believe the news when Jessie told him.
Eric thought she was joking. [Eric] didn’t believe me, actually. He thought I was playing a joke on him … but I would never joke about something like this,” she told fans. “He literally thought [my sister] Sydney peed on a stick and we were, like, messing with him.” (Sydney and husband Anthony Bass welcomed their baby boy, Sonny, on July 27 and also share two daughters.)
He got there eventually. It took some time for Eric, 36, to fully come to terms with the situation. “I was like, ‘I’m not joking. This is real,’” Jessie recalled. “It was a shock for a while there, but then as soon as he knew it was real, I mean, you know him. … We love kids, so we’re like, ‘Yeah!’”
Surprise! The couple, who already share Vivianne, 9, Eric Jr., 7, and Forrest, 5, weren’t trying for a fourth baby. “I’ve gotten this question the most, probably. It was not planned,” Jessie explained during her Q&A. “We were very, very surprised.” Jessie reminded her followers that she’d “been telling Eric it was probably time to get a vasectomy,” but he never went through with the procedure. “I felt like we were done and I just feel like God always has other plans. So it was extremely shocking and surprising, but like, [we’re] happy [and] excited,” she said.
Eric has weird feelings about vasectomies. Last year, Jessie exclusively told Us Weekly that she had “no plans for a fourth” baby after previously attempting to convince Eric to get a vasectomy. “He won’t book it. … Just the idea freaks him out,” she said in January 2022. At the time, Eric acknowledged that “the papers are filled out” while he tried to come to a final decision. “It’s a little power being taken. That’s how I feel,” he told Us. “I’m a little nervous about it, to be honest. … You don’t know where life will take you in the next five years.”
Eric has even weirder opinions about vasectomies. One year later, Eric’s mind still hadn’t changed. “I keep asking him, ‘Go make that appointment’ and he won’t. He just won’t do it,” Jessie told Us in January. “He says it takes, like, his manhood away from him. So he’s just gonna leave it, I guess.”
First off, congratulations to Jessie and Eric. I’m glad that when faced with a surprise pregnancy, they were able to look at their situation and make the choice that is best for their family. Everyone should get to do that. Niceties out of the way, I’m simultaneously side-eyeing and rolling my eyes at Eric Decker. Getting a vasectomy “takes his manhood away from him?!” Gag, miss me with that ignorance. I bet he’s one of those dudes who think it’s solely the woman’s responsibility to prevent pregnancy. The Deckers have also said in interviews that they don’t use any form of birth control. If you don’t want to get a vasectomy, it’s your choice not to, but if you’re not using any form of birth control, don’t act “shocked” when you end up with an oopsy baby, FFS. And don’t be surprised when you end up with baby #5, either.
Hey Eric your manhood is not directly linked to your man parts. Being a man is so much more than that but small minded men like you think your man parts are all there is. Such a shame.
What an idiot: he gets to keep ALL of his man parts with a vasectomy. The procedure interrupts the sperm reaching his cum. All his hormones and everything are left okay.
Ugh, I’m just sad ignorant nitwits like these are the ones who are procreating the most. That said, children are rebellious so theirs may grow up and reject the ingrained toxic masculinity.
If I were her, I’d be worried he’s thinking he might want another wife and family some time in the future and wants to keep his options open for when she gets “too old”.
That’s exactly what I thought too. He’s hedging his bets. What a douche.
I thought the same with “you never know what may happen in the next 5 years” – wants to be able to make more babies with the next wife. But I’m just sour bc my husband won’t get one either and I don’t like how I feel on hormonal birth control. And after 2 pregnancies and 2 c-sections I’m tired of being poked and prodded and stubbornly don’t want to get a painful copper IUD implanted either.
I went with the paraguard IUD because my husband was also having a Stupid Moment about a vasectomy. Placement was AWFUL (yeah, no anesthesia, and I’m not particularly sensitive to pain) and the month after was AWFUL (non-stop bleeding and cramping for a literal month) but then it was fine. Until it FELL OUT or possibly came out when I was emptying my menstrual cup. After about a year. For the alleged 10-year IUD that was supposed to take me cleanly into menopause.
Fortunately, my husband felt really, really, REALLY bad about how much of a giant PITA the whole thing was for me and scheduled a vasectomy and apologized repeatedly for being stupid. But I would have recommended it 6 months ago, and now…no.
I had great success with a copper-T IUD for many years until I developed fibroids and had a hysterectomy. I experienced no heavy periods or bad cramping (until the fibroids appeared) — nor did I find it painful when it was inserted.
Don’t know where life will take you in the next five years means he’s worried his next wife may want kids.
Exactly this.
Yuuuup. My thoughts too.
100% my first thought. He’s leaving that door open just in case but also the stupid manhood comments are what I hear from every maga douche I know.
My husband was like yep sure ok let me get on that since it’s the least I could do after you went through pregnancy, childbirth and c sections.
I’m only surprised it’s taken five years for them to be surprised.
Wow, 36 years old and this guy comes off as an absolute child. Revolting
They come off…. Incredibly stupid. Like low iq – will pass for competent but don’t ask them to add the tip and come out with the correct number.
FFS his “manhood”
🤮
That’s my takeaway too, Ariel… they sound like just really dumb people in general. 🤦🏻♀️
Completely agree with the above sentiments expressed by others that wife should side-eye the heck out of that 5 years comment- he is already thinking about his next relationship. But also- does this fool realize that vasectomies are reversible? I’m sure he does but like so many “manly”men, he is willing to let his wife bear the entire burden of their reproductive life because he doesn’t think he should have to handle even the slightest discomfort for any period of time.
« God has other plans ». Honey, God would like to be excluded from this narrative.
My very devout Christian mother used to say (to and about people refusing to believe proven science):
“God gave mankind the ability to learn and discover this wondrous life He gave us. He gave mankind knowledge and intelligence. Science is simply the discovery of God’s abundance and love. Don’t blame God if you choose to ignore the knowledge He has given us. You can’t worship God without acknowledging the gifts He gave to us and that He wants us to use those gifts. Denying science is denying God.”
So yeah, when I hear/read about super Jesusy people invoking God’s name in an effort to cover for their ignorance or refusal to understand basic science I immediately lose interest in them and anything they are saying. These people are deliberately simple minded people who are taking the Lord’s name in vain.
Also, cosign all the comments about this asshat husband who doesn’t want to “lose his manhood”. He’s definitely keeping an open mind about divorcing her after she is no longer useful to him.
@Bluenailsbetty as a Christian who believe in science and human rights, I so appreciate your mother’s take and I am going to use this myself.
As a Muslim this is always how I have looked at science.
I hate that phrase! No – you are lucky enough to be in a position where you get to choose! That’s what God gave you.
Seriously, I think God (if I believe he existed) would be insulted to be blamed. This has nothing to do with God and everything this couple’s misogynistic beliefs around reproduction and masculinity.
I don’t get why so many men are so weary about vasectomy. Vasectomy=freedom and the best sex life EVER (when monogamous of course).
My husband got a vasectomy after our second kid because we knew we would end up with a third sooner or later. Vasectomy is not popular at all in our country (France). The doctor tried to talk him out of it, telling him he would be screwed if his next wife wanted kids (how considerate)(this mofo even told him it would be better if I got a procedure because I was old. I was 37). My husband said he would still have his two kids. I don’t understand how the wishes of a hypothetical next partner are relevant in that kind of very personal decision, but apparently that is a thing. Among stupids.
Interesting. In the US, women who want any kind of procedure that impairs fertility are talked out of it and/or refused. I was having medical issues and asked my doctor about an ablation. I was 36. She wouldn’t even discuss it with me because I might want children in the future. I told her my partner and I didn’t want children and my partner didn’t like children. She said he might change his mind. After he had a vasectomy, I tried again with a different doctor. Again, I was denied because he might change his mind and vasectomies are reversible. My friend with PCOS wanted a hysterectomy, which would have fixed a lot of issues for her. She was denied because some unknown, unidentified man in the future might want to use her for breeding. It’s horrifying.
That is awful. It’s the same in France, that doctor was being utterly hypocritical. I also have a good friend who have really bad endometriosis. She tried to conceive many times with and without medical help and it failed every time. It was hard but she finally made peace with the fact that she would never have a biological child. This year, she turned 44, she got out of a long-term relationship and decided she wanted an hysterectomy because her endometriosis is so impairing and so bad for so many years. It was denied because “you can never know what could happen”. It was a giant slap in the face for her. Some doctors are straight psychopaths.
I’m just sorry for the kids having these 2 idiots for parents. It’s a lost cause.
He sounds like the kind of guy who would tie his wife’s femininity to her breasts. What would happen if she ever needed a mastectomy?
Well, see? That right there is an example of why he needs to be able to breed with another woman. If Jessie gets “ugly” or “scarred” or “defeminized” he’ll need to find some other woman to accept his man seed. /extremesarcasm
My husband is getting his vascectomy on Saturday!
Baby 2 was very much an oopsie baby and as much as we love her four month old self to pieces, there will absolutely not be baby 3!
Congratulations x2 then!
this dude sucks
It might be better for children if he did.
This is a bizarre comment. It’s like 1980s retrograde high school nonsense, or conservative churchy gay shaming, to equate blowing a little dick to being gay …. it’s something all people who have sex with men do pretty regularly!
What??? I’m thoroughly confused, how on earth are they “surprised”? WTF?
“It’s a little power taken” is how he feels. I wonder how much “power” he feels will be taken when they eventually divorce and she gets thousands of dollars in child support for their now FOUR kids. All because he wouldn’t get a – REVERSIBLE – procedure.
I was surprised by an oopsie baby in January after my husband and I had intercourse ONCE, he pulled out and I used spermicide afterwards. I’m expecting to deliver any day now and my husband (a physician) gladly volunteered to schedule and get a vasectomy because three is all we can handle. Then there’s Jesse and Eric.
Congratulations! Sending good vibes for a smooth delivery and recovery!
Yeah, a little power taken away. Totally fine for your wife to go through a nine month pregnancy and labor that wrecks the body, though. 🙄
Conservative women this stupid deserve men like this, in all honesty. He’s about as worth as much as the surgeon who gave her that shitty boob job.
Real life #FAFO
Goodness those boobs look fuc*ing painful!!!
I listened to a couple of her songs yesterday to see if I recognized any of them. Can confirm that her music is equally as painful as her boobs look.
My daughter’s husband was the same way. So she got a tubal ligation and…mistakes were made. She’s had issues ever since. And the husband is now an ex. Trying not to say anything negative but honestly, it’s for the best.
My extended family has a very positive view on vasectomies. They are celebrated with backyard barbecues where the men bond over how super manly they are by taking a little pain in the balls to take care of their wives. Joining the v-club is a point of pride.
These two are and have always been conservative idiots, with all of the views and beliefs that come with that.
I’m sorry, they don’t use birth control and they were shocked she got pregnant? After having had three kids? If he’s 36 I am assuming she’s close to the same age. What did they THINK would happen?
I always side-eye people who are gobsmacked by an oops baby when they are not using a reliable form of birth control at all times. Like when it was just “that one time” that he didn’t use the condom, or she skipped her pill for a week. One time is all it takes. It’s not rocket science.
Looks a little like Eric Trump to me. Yuck.
In general, I actually don’t have an issue with him not wanting a vasectomy. I would feel the same way if a woman didn’t want to have her tubes tied at her husband’s request. It’s their body their choice.
However in this instance I don’t think she has any original thoughts of her own to the point she felt that strongly about it so I don’t feel bad for her here.
Through a strange set of circumstances, I find myself living in the tiny, rural Minnesota town where Eric Decker is the hometown football hero. I can confirm that he is a product of this environment, a place where the local menfolk are mighty careful ‘bout protecting their version of ‘manhood’.