Tony Romo earned Ashlee Simpson?s family 1.4 mill by attending wedding

When Tony Romo went to lunch at a paparazzi hot spot with Jessica Simpson on the Friday before her sister's wedding, I assumed he was trying to help her save face after the news broke that he dumped her. Then when Romo went to Jessica's sister Ashlee's wedding as Jessica's date, again it seemed like he felt sorry for Jessica and wanted to soften the blow of the breakup. Maybe they have an on-off thing, but the insider reports of their breakup were reported in the Chicago Sun Times and seemed true.

So why would Tony make a public reconciliation with Jessica Simpson before her sister's wedding other than feeling sorry for her? Maybe because if he stayed away from the wedding, it would have cost Jessica's family $1.4 million. TMZ reports that People Magazine's contract with Joe Simpson for exclusive rights to Ashlee Simpson's wedding photos included the stipulation that Tony Romo had to be at the wedding with Ashlee's older sister Jessica:

Our moles tell us, when People cut a $1.4 deal for Ashlee's wedding pics, there was a g-string attached -- that Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo would be there.

It's kinda what we were thinking. Who'd pay that for Ashlee Simpson alone. That's why People wanted to put a pic of Jessica and Tony as an inset on the cover -- they sell, Ashlee doesn't.

Of course, the problem. Jessica and Tony split before the wedding. So you getting the picture why Tony showed? $$$$

[From TMZ]

Maybe that explains why People claimed ahead of the wedding to have a "source" that Tony Romo would attend. There must have been a lot of pressure on that guy to show up, and he swallowed his pride and did a nice thing for Jessica's family. I guess that explains why he didn't go on vacation with Jessica and her family afterwards.

But isn't it a little sad for Ashlee, that - as commenter Elisha points out - she had "to have her wedding cover of People ruined with a huge picture of her sister freak dancing on it"?

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz are shown out in NY after the Caribbean honeymoon on 5/23/08, thanks to WENN.