Jessica Simpson has reached a settlement in a long-running dispute over the sale of her fashion company.
The ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ actress, her sister Ashlee Simpson and their parents Joe and Tina were subjected to a lawsuit from Jeffrey Bowler in 2016, who accused them of cheating him out of $12 million from the $120 million sale of her fashion label The Jessica Collection in 2015.
The businessman claimed he had a deal with Joe Simpson that would see him earn a 10% finder’s fee if he could find a buyer for the brand, though he didn’t have a written contract as the agreement was made over the phone 10 years ago. He claimed in his lawsuit that not only did he put the family patriarch in touch with the eventual buyer, he also arranged the meeting and helped finalise the deal for all parties.
But Jessica, 38, hit back and filed documents demanding the suit be thrown out, branding Jeffrey’s case a "despicable attempt to extort millions of dollars from a world-famous celebrity, entrepreneur and fashion icon".
The blonde beauty – who has daughter Maxwell, six, and son Ace, five, and is expecting her third child with husband Eric Johnson – went on to accuse him of only adding her family and business manager to the lawsuit to emotionally blackmail her into a quick settlement and denied there had been any agreement.
She later filed a countersuit against Jeffrey, claiming he and another man – who she described as "professional con men" – had befriended Joe in a bid to make money from her, but denied they were owed anything.
The Blast reports the settlement has now been agreed and both suits have been dismissed, though the details of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Jessica Simpson resolves fashion sale dispute
