Jessica and Ashlee Simpson Plan to Take Legal Action Against Media Outlets  8/3/05

POP STARS JESSICA AND ASHLEE SIMPSON'S FATHER JOE SIMPSON SAYS THEY PLAN TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST MEDIA OUTLETS

Simpson: "We've Hired the Most Powerful Lawyer in the City to Start Taking These People On."

SHOW AIRS ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2005

BURBANK, Calif. - August 2, 2005 - In an interview with "Access Hollywood," Joe Simpson, father and manager of pop stars Ashlee and Jessica Simpson, says that they have "hired the most powerful lawyer in the city" to take on publications that he claims run false reports about his family. The interview airs on "Access Hollywood," Tuesday, August 2, 2005 (check local listings for time and station).

"What we've done is hire the most powerful lawyer in the city to start taking these people on," said Simpson. "You can only say, 'No that's not true'...so often and then everybody thinks you are lying."

The pop stars' father also says he believes the stories published about them have gotten out of hand. "I had Botox, who believes that? Jessica had plastic surgery, who believes that?," he said. "I mean, they just print it because Jessica sells magazines, Ashlee sells magazines and we don't have any responsibility in the media anymore. You can say whatever the hell you want to and it's not right."

When asked what he thought would make the reports stop, Simpson replied, "I don't know. A law suit big enough to get their attention."

"Access Hollywood" is produced by NBC and distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution. Rob K. Silverstein is the executive producer.