Jessica Simpson Sues 'Con Men' For Alleged $12 Million Scam Attempt
June 2 2018, Updated 8:51 p.m. ET
Jessica Simpson has filed a lawsuit against two "professional con men" she claims tried to scam her and her family out of $12 million dollars, The Blast has reported.
Jessica, 37, claims in legal documents that the guys wormed their way into her life by befriending her father Joe Simpson, 57, years ago.
Court papers obtained by The Blast show that Jessica – through her company, With You, Inc. – is suing Jeffrey Bowler and Bret Saxon over their claim they are owed money from the sale of a majority stake in her Jessica Simpson brand.
According to Jessica, who is married to former football player Eric Johnson and has stoked pregnancy rumors recently, the two guys met her father Joe at random in Beverly Hills in 2010.
The former Newlyweds reality TV star says in the docs that she believes they saw a potential target in her dad.
As The Blast has reported, "She claims the men befriended her father to leverage their relationship with him to secure an easy payday through Simpson."
In 2014, Jessica talked to a company called Sequential Brands Group about them purchasing a stake in her brand. She claims Bowler and Saxon learned about the discussions and tried to insert themselves into the sale, according to The Blast's court docs.
The singer contends that Bowler and Saxon contacted Joe and asked him to put them in touch with Jessica's business manager, David Levin. After they connected, Jessica alleges that Saxon told Levin he would put him in touch with an exec at Sequential.
Bowler has alleged that he made a deal with Joe for a 10 percent finder's fee if he could find a buyer for The Jessica Simpson Collection. He claimed that he eventually found a buyer and Jessica went on to sell a majority stake in her business for $120 million dollars in April 2015.
However, Bowler maintained that he never got a dime of his finder's fee that was promised by Joe, so he filed suit demanding the $12 million dollars he claims he was promised for his work.
Jessica and her family members have been battling it out in court for years, denying his money claim.
In the new court action, however, Jessica is counter-suing Saxon and Bowler, seeking unspecified damages for their actions.
Jessica has reportedly had a strained relationship with her dad since her parents' divorce.
In 2012, Joe and wife Tina split after more than 30 years of marriage. The divorce filing came shortly after a source told the National Enquirer that he had come out as gay to his family.
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However, Joe denied the allegations about his sexuality, calling them "ridiculous" and untrue.
Joe has recently battled prostate cancer.
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