JESSICA SIMPSON - SIMPSON DIDN'T SACK PUBLICIST

SIMPSON DIDN'T SACK PUBLICIST

LATEST: Pop star JESSICA SIMPSON has issued a statement, through ROB SHUTER, insisting she didn't fire him as her publicist. Media reports yesterday (07SEPT06) indicated that her longtime publicist had been sacked after the disastrous coverage of her budding relationship with JOHN MAYER. Both People and Us Weekly magazines ran cover stories suggesting the pair were dating with Simpson quoted as saying, "I'm in love!" Simpson has since denied that she is seeing Mayer and insists they are just friends. The A PUBLIC AFFAIR singer sent a statement to news website TMZ.com, who first reported the alleged firing, via Shuter, saying, "I did not fire Rob Shuter, he is a great publicist and a great friend." Shuter would not clarify whether or not he still represents the pop star or if they have gone their separate ways.