Ashlee Simpson to Divorce Pete Wentz: Another A-List Marriage Dissolves

February 9^th, 2011 - Ashlee Simpson-Wentz has filed for divorce from her husband, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, PEOPLE has confirmed. The two have been married since May of 2008, and they have one child together, two year old Bronx Mowgil Wentz. Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz's divorce is just one more split to make headlines in a lengthy series of A-List marriages dissolving; dozens of famous couples called it quits in 2010.

Which begs the question: Why does love go wrong in Hollywood?

TMZ reports that Ashlee Simpson has listed the old favorite "irreconcilable differences" in her divorce documents, and that she is seeking spousal support from Pete Wentz, and joint custody but physical custody of their son, Bronx. The pair released a statement through a spokesperson about the dissolution of their two-year marriage: "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to file for divorce. We remain friends and deeply committed and loving parents to our son Bronx, whose happiness and well-being remains our number one priority. We ask that everyone honor our privacy as we navigate this next phase of our lives."

Ashlee Simpson is the younger sister of A-List singer Jessica Simpson, whose own first marriage, to fellow singer Nick Lachey, dissolved in 2005 after just three years of marriage. In November of 2010, both Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey confirmed engagement to new partners, stating their mutual happiness for each other's pending marriages. Is Ashlee Simpson following in big sis Jessica's footsteps in romance, as well as in the music industry? Ashlee seemed to be riding on Jessica's coattails in the early 2000s, landing her own reality show and releasing albums of her own in the wake of Jessica's success. However, her fame as evolved over the years from that of a songstress to a fashion it-girl and charming celebrity couple. Where will Ashlee go now that she's a soon-to-be divorcee?

Last fall alone, four famous celebrity couples ended their marriages and made headlines. Courtney Cox and David Arquette, Eva Longoria and Tony Parker, Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller and Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus were among the A-List marriages to file for divorce, shocking fans and raising concerns about the seemingly steady increase in divorces in Hollywood. Is a marriage between young celebrities like Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz doomed from inception?

In January of 2011, Pete Wentz talked with PEOPLE about Jessica Simpson's new fiancé, Eric Johnson. "The great thing about being part of the Simpson family is that they're really welcoming - you feel right at home right away," PEOPLE reports Wentz as saying. Ashlee's soon-to-be-ex even went on to discuss his two-year marriage with Ashlee in the interview: "The great thing about Ashlee is that she finds the romantic moments for me in everything," he said. "We'll be on the plane and she'll remember that this is the anniversary of our first flight together. She can always find the romantic side of everything. We're best friends so it's just really easy."

Apparently, it isn't "really easy" after all.

Throughout their relationship, Pete Wentz has remained an active member of Fall Out Boy, even while Ashlee seemed to happily slip out of the recording studio. If she receives physical custody of their son, Bronx, will that prevent her from returning to her original ambitions as a singer? Perhaps she'll capitalize on her reputation as an A-List fashionista, and follow in Nicole Richie's footsteps in creating a fashion line.

Sources:
Stephen M. Silverman, "Ashlee Simpson-Wentz Files for Divorce," PEOPLE
Kim Peiffer, "Pete Wentz: Jessica Simpson's Fiancé Fits Right in with the Family," PEOPLE
TMZ, "Ashlee Simpson Files for Divorce"