Joe Simpson tries to auction off pregnant daughter Ashlee's baby pics to tabloids, no takers!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

ASHLEE PHOTO PITCH LOW-BALLED

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04172008/gossip/pagesix/ashlee_photo_pitch_low_balled_106921.htm



April 17, 2008 -- THE Simpson sisters' dad-ager, Joe Simpson, is trying to cash in on the baby-crazed trend in celebrity magazines - but he's having a difficult time.

A magazine source said, "Joe is contacting all the weeklies and asking them to pony up $1 million to put Ashlee on the cover." The news broke this week that Jessica's younger sibling is pregnant with her now-fiancée Pete Wentz's child - a claim Wentz has backed off denying.

"The deal would include photos of Ashlee - taken by Joe, of course, so he can make more money - an interview and photos of the baby when she has it," our source said.

Sadly, there is some interest - but not for anything close to $1 million.

One magazine editor said the pictures would fetch "$60,000 maybe - but definitely not a million. The timing is a little suspicious. Her album 'Bittersweet World' is dropping next week, and there was little to no interest until now. Ashlee's lucky she got pregnant, frankly."

But even with the marriage announcement, "Joe has an unrealistic expectation of what Ashlee can command," the editor said.

Ashlee's shotgun wedding to Wentz is expected to take place before summer. Her rep declined to comment.

A source told OK! magazine, "They're planning on something in the Santa Barbara area probably by the end of May . . . Jessica will be the maid of honor."

Ashlee is said to be eyeing a Vera Wang dress and will likely wear a ring designed by Wentz.

This wouldn't be the first time Joe has mucked things up for his daughters. During Jessica's visit to Africa with the Operation Smile charity two years ago, he insisted on being the only one to take pictures of her, despite having a professional photographer along on the trip - thus making himself the only one to collect the cash when he sold the photos to People magazine.

Joe also undercut Jessica when she did a deal for the launch issue of OK! At the time, it was reported Jessica got a mere $250,000 for the spread - despite Sean Combs getting more than $1 million several weeks later.