Jessica Simpson may play dumb, but she's nobody's shill.
The bubbleheaded Newlyweds star and multimedia maven has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Motorock auto-racing company for reneging on an agreement that was supposed to pay her $140,000 for wearing a T-shirt with the Motorock logo.
Sound familiar?
It should. Simpson filed a near identical version of the lawsuit in federal court back in April. But, thanks to legal jurisdictional wrangling, Simpson had to relaunch the case this week in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
As with the first complaint, Simpson accuses New Jersey-based 4 Dog Productions of failing to pay her for wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the Motorock emblem in her video for the single "With You."
The stunt was part of a larger endorsement deal between the 23-year-old diva and the promoter. Simpson initially agreed to don the T-shirt during a one-hour performance at the Grand Prix of Puerto Rico on Oct. 23, 2003 in addition to a music video. Simpson also agreed to sport another T-shirt with the Motorock logo on TRL and include the logo in the end credits of Newlyweds.
Per Simpson's suit, her contract stipulated that she'd be paid in two installments, with $14,000 coming on Oct. 8, 2003, followed by the remaining $126,000 on Oct. 22.
However, according to court documents, 4 Dog scrapped her appearance at the Grand Prix on Oct. 10 without telling Simpson. The move came after Simpson had filmed the video. She says she never saw a dime for efforts.
Now, the curvy chanteuse is going to court for the full $140,000 plus damages and legal fees.
Mike Zaccaro, owner of 4 Dog Productions, could not be reached for comment.
Of course, it's not like she needs the cash.
Since hitting it big in MTV's Newlyweds with hubby Nick Lachey, the "Sweet Kisses" songstress' celebrity quotient has been on the upswing.
Aside from scoring endorsement deals with the likes of Pizza Hut, Chicken of the Sea and her own personal fragrance line, Simpson and Lachey cohosted a Sonny and Cher-esque variety show for ABC titled The Nick & Jessica Variety Hour. The special went over so well that the network is planning more installments over the coming season.
Simpson has also reportedly landed the role of Daisy Duke in the upcoming Dukes of Hazzard movie and is being considered as the possible lead in an I Dream of Jeannie movie.
About the only bump so far is the ABC sitcom pilot, featuring Simpson as a ditzy reporter, that failed to make the network's schedule. Still, she and Lachey (whose own ABC pilot, Hot Mom, also failed to make the cut) will be back on the air for a third season of Newlyweds, which debuts June 16 on MTV.
Simpson is also set to embark on her first major concert tour.
Graduating from malls to amphitheaters, the Jessica Simpson Reality Tour kicks off this Friday in New Orleans and crisscrosses America before wrapping up Aug. 1 at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, California.