Ashlee Simpson is following in the footsteps of her sister Jessica by launching her own fashion line.

She’s teaming up with clothing manufacturer Wet Seal to release a collection of T-shirts, featuring designs “inspired by her own personality, sense of style and artwork”.

The range comes out in the U.S. on April 22nd, the same day her new album, Bittersweet World, is released.

Ashlee says, “I was inspired by so many fun, wonderful things as I was recording Bittersweet World and it’s been great to carry through those inspirations into these new shirt designs. I hope my fans love this album and rock out in these shirts.”

WENN

It’s a virtual lovefest between Jessica and Ashlee Simpson’s boyfriends. “Pete’s great, he’s a really laid back, cool guy,” Tony Romo told In Touch recently. And now Pete Wentz says he feels the same about the Dallas Cowboys star, even though they have almost nothing in common except the Simpson sisters. “It is like the jock and the nerd hanging out,” Pete joked to In Touch. “I am trying to get him to teach me to throw a football.” But regular male bonding sessions have been tough to organize, the Fall Out Boy bassist admits. “We really aren’t ever in the same place at the same time to double-date,” Pete said at the Wayne Hadly clothing collection viewing at Scout in LA on March 15. Still, he thinks Jessica and Tony are a good match. “They are happy and seem great together,” said Pete.

Splash , ITW

If Ashlee Simpson was exhausted by the time she arrived at Miami hot spot Mansion for her live performance at 12:45 a.m. on March 8, it’s hardly surprising. According to a witness who saw Ashlee and her entourage hanging out by the pool of the Shore Club earlier that day, the pop star had been partying since 3 in the afternoon.

“She had been drinking all day and was even talking about how hard she’d partied the night before,” says the witness. “She was loud and seemed drunk. She was drinking both Russian Standard vodka and Johnny Walker Black.” Before arriving at Mansion, Ashlee had dinner with 12 pals (including beau Pete Wentz) at Social, where they polished off a whopping three bottles of Imperia vodka, says an onlooker. Ashlee, 23, was “totally trashed,” says a witness.

While performing, “she seemed to forget the lyrics a few times,” the witness says. “She tried to cover for it by hiding her mouth and doing tricks like cartwheels and a backflip.” Before leaving the club, she had one last glass of champagne.

L&S

Ashlee Simpson has hit out at reports she was drunk during a radio interview on Tuesday, blaming her slurred speech on “bad energy”.

Two days after Simpson’s representative claimed the star was “simply just tired” during an appearance on Washington, D.C.’s Hot 99.5 Kane In The Morning show, Simpson, herself, has now defended her conduct in a post on her MySpace.com webpage.

She writes: “It was very upsetting to hear that people are saying that I was intoxicated when I came in for my morning interview. I take my work very seriously and would never disrespect anyone and come into an interview that way… “When I walked into the radio station I was thrown into the interview. They didn’t even introduce themselves to me before starting it – and just put me on the air. I felt bad energy and like I was about to be attacked as soon as I sat down… “Throughout my career, I have learned that you must speak up for yourself when people try to put you down. That is why I am writing this today. I’m tired of people making things up about others.”

WENN

A representative for Ashlee Simpson has denied claims the star was drunk during a radio interview yesterday – insisting she was “simply just tired”. The 23-year-old appeared on Washington D.C.’s Hot 99.5 Kane In The Morning show, but attracted attention because she appeared to have trouble speaking and slurred her words.

But her spokesperson is adamant Simpson’s behavior was due to her busy promotional schedule. A representative for the star says, “Ashlee was absolutely not intoxicated this morning on Hot 99.5. She has been working extremely hard traveling across the country to promote her upcoming new album by performing at night and waking up very early the next day to do radio interviews in the morning – like any of us would be – she was simply just tired.”

WENN

Ashlee Simpson out and about in Manhattan on Sunday.

WENN

Ashlee Simpson arriving at LAX Nightclub with her boyfriend Pete Wentz where she performed her new single ‘I Am Me’ inside the Luxor Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, on February 23rd.

WENN