The perpetually hustling father and manager of Jessica and Ashlee has gone beyond merely co-opting the paparazzi and has actually become one of them.

According to sources who’ve had recent dealings with him, Simpson has a tight working arrangement with WireImage, the mega-agency and wire service that rules the red-carpet at nearly every high-profile event in the western hemisphere. On several occasions, a camera-wielding Simpson has gone toe-to-toe with other snappers for shots of his own daughters, then approved only his own images for distribution through WireImage. At other times, he has provided the agency with exclusive (and even racy) shots of his daughters on family getaways or in other putatively private moments.

Needless to say, other photographers aren’t happy. One recalled being invited to cover an event sponsored by Jessica’s record label, Epic, only to find her shots blocked again and again by Joe and his Nikon. “I thought it was really odd that he was always in my way, since I was the one who was paid to be there shooting,” she says. Though the freelancer did manage to get some clean shots, Joe’s were the only ones WireImage deemed worthy of being distributed.

How lucrative is Simpson’s sideline? Hard to say; he didn’t return Radar’s calls, and neither did WireImage co-founder Kevin Mazur. It’s thus unclear, for instance, whether WireImage pays Simpson only for the photos he takes—which are credited to Simpson on the WireImage site—or whether he receives a cut of all images of Jessica or Ashlee the agency sells. The latter arrangement would explain why, according to sources, Simpson has tried to bar other agencies from press events.

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