Jamie Lynn rains on Ashlee Simpson’s parade

Wednesday, Dec. 19 was supposed to be a big day for Ashlee Simpson. After spending the last year working on a new album, “Outta My Head,” Ashlee’s debut video was set to release to big fanfare.

Unfortunately, the spotlight just wasn’t meant to be for Simpson, thanks to the news that Jamie Lynn Spears is with child.

“Ashlee can’t believe this happened. She’s so disappointed,” said a source.

The fact that Spears’ news eclipsed Simpson’s is a bit poetic, a family friend pointed out. “Her sister, Jessica, grew up in the shadow of Britney; it took years for Jess separate herself from her. How ironic that Ashlee’s big day ends up spent in the shadow of Britney’s little sister,” said the family friend.

This isn’t the first bump in the road for Ashlee Simpson’s album. The Simpson camp had hoped to release the album in November, but had to push the date back to early 2008. Though Team Simpson is confident the final product will be impressive, a source close to Simpson claims that the delay is due to some last-minute changes, some as drastic as writing and recording new songs.

“This is her last chance, really. Her second album did terribly. She has to have an incredible third album.”

“I Am Me” sold 884,000 copies, compared to her first album, “Autobiography,” which sold 2.9 million, according Billboard.

“Joe Simpson doesn’t do anything by chance. This date (for the video release) was picked clearly; he expected it to be the talk of the town,” said the source. “Jamie Lynn didn’t just steal the spotlight; she sucked the oxygen out of the week. This week it’s all about her.”

(source)