When Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz got married in 2008, the world thought it was a match made in punk-rock heaven. While the marriage led to the birth of their son Bronx, 6, Wentz said their age and being in the public eye led to its demise.
In a recent interview with Howard Stern, Wentz said “Being too young… I think there’s an important thing where you know how to fight. You can fight with somebody but it’s not the end of everything. But if you don’t know how to have those arguments then they become nuclear. And we were doing this all in the public eye, which you know doesn’t help.”
photo: Wire Image
According to Wentz, his marriage with Simpson began to go downhill when his band went on hiatus in 2010.
“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 said on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
“I had the beard, the flannel shirt. I didn’t know what my identity was. That factored in. When your identity is what you do, it’s hard when you stop doing it.”
“It was the first time where I was like, ‘Well, no one’s really taking my picture. I’m just basically hanging out with my kid all day. Who cares?’ 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,” Wentz, 35, explained. “It’s like a vicious cycle.”
Wentz thought the marriage was going to be “forever,” but he isn’t holding on to any anger. Howard Stern pressed him on this in their interview:
“Don’t you feel betrayed when your wife breaks up with you at your low point?” Stern asked.
Wentz replied: “I would be an idiot to think that I didn’t contribute to the unraveling of it. Of course, at first, I’m like, ‘This sucks! You bailed on me!'” he said. “But you get perspective. We have a kid together. Our kid is awesome. He’s great.”
He has found love again with girlfriend Meagan Camper and has a beautiful new baby with her, but Pete Wentz still hurts when it comes to his divorce.
Ashlee Simpson, for her part, has already remarried. She and Diana Ross‘ son Evan Ross, 26, tied the knot back in August. Us confirmed last month that the couple are expecting their first child together.
