The Real Reason Ashlee Simpson And Pete Wentz Divorced
Nowadays, Ashlee Simpson is Diana Ross' daughter-in-law via her marriage to the icon's son Evan Ross. However, the Texas native used to be Ashlee Simpson Wentz, which just feels like a whole lifetime ago. Simpson married Pete Wentz in May 2008, ultimately filing for divorce in February 2011, per court records obtained by TMZ. The exes have a son named Bronx together.
In her filing, Simpson identified "irreconcilable differences" as her reason to divorce. They also released a joint statement after the divorce filing, promising to remain "deeply committed and loving parents." And, of course, they asked for people to "honor [their] privacy," and, believe it or not, they pretty much got that. For the most part, they managed to maintain some level of privacy throughout their split.
In March 2009, Wentz dismissed rumors of marital problems via email to MTV, promising, "We're still going steady. She's still wearing my letterman jacket. And you shouldn't believe everything you read on the Internet. It's nonsense." Three months later, Page Six reported on some alleged drama between Simpson and Wentz's ex Michelle Trachtenberg, with Simpson's rep claiming, "It was just a misunderstanding. Ashlee has since apologized to Michelle and they remain on good terms."
Despite those public rumblings of drama between Wentz and Simpson in 2009, they didn't split up until two years later. What ultimately led to their breakup?
Pete Wentz thought he and Ashlee Simpson would last 'forever'
Although Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson remained mum throughout their 2011 divorce, Wentz reflected on the experience during a 2015 Howard Stern interview. When Stern asked if Wentz thought their marriage would last, he said (per E! News), "I thought it was forever."
Wentz explained how Fall Out Boy's 20210 hiatus affected their marriage, sharing, "Here's what it really was: At 31, we'd had all these great years as a band, and then we took time off, and I basically became Mr. Mom." He recalled, "I think when you stop caring about your personal appearance, your personal hygiene, it makes you even more depressed, but it makes you do it more," describing it as "a vicious cycle."
Wentz said part of the reason their marriage ended was because he felt they were "too young." When Stern asked, "Don't you feel betrayed when your wife breaks up with you at your low point?", Wentz confessed he felt that way "at first," thinking she "bailed" on him. However, he also admitted, "I would be an idiot to think that I didn't contribute to the unraveling of it."
Simpson hasn't opened up about their divorce, but she did say that Wentz and his girlfriend Meagan Camper are "wonderful" and that she "lucked out" co-parenting with the two of them during a 2018 Us Weekly interview. It seems like they just weren't the right fit, and that they're better off as co-parents.