Jessica Simpson's Dad's Busted Marriage Fuels Gay Rumors

Jessica Simpson's father, Joe Simpson, is not having a good week.

The National Enquirer reported Wednesday that a Simpson family insider told the publication that Joe Simpson, 54, recently came out of the closet and it is the reason why his wife Tina Simpson is divorcing the Baptist father turned manager.

"Joe got the family together about two months ago and came out of the closet," the anonymous source told the Enquirer. "He told them that he'd tried to continue in his marriage to Tina, but he couldn't go on any longer and deny the fact that he had these feelings for men. Joe said it wasn't fair to her, and it wasn't fair to him.

According to the source, daughters Jessica and Ashlee, both pop stars, lashed out and asked their dad "how long he'd known he was gay." The source added that Simpson knew he was gay for quite some time.

"Jessica felt that he'd not only deceived their mom, but her and Ashlee as well," the insider said.

When People reported the story, a rep for the Simpson family told the magazine that split has nothing to do with Joe Simpson's orientation.

"It is an amicable split and there is no third party involved," the rep told People. "Any other related allegations are completely false. The family appreciates your respect for their privacy at this time." (The People reporter apparently did not follow up this seeming non-refutation of said "related allegations.")

When Tina Simpson, 52, filed for divorce in Texas last month, she cited "discord or conflict of personalities" as the reason for the breakup.

According to Radar Online, Joe Simpson has exhibited some odd behavior lately as he was arrested for drunk driving in Sherman Oaks, Calif., in August.

"The police report stated that there was someone else in the car with Joe," said a source close to the Simpson family. "Some reports have stated it was Tina, but now the belief is that it may well have been a boyfriend."