Fame hit like a tidal wave for the bassist who helped define pop-punk, but the man behind the eyeliner navigated a much more complicated story beneath the stage lights. Pete Wentz built Fall Out Boy into a multiplatinum phenomenon, yet his life offstage involved a very public battle with mental illness, a high-profile Hollywood marriage, and the steadying anchor of fatherhood.

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Full name: Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III ·
Born: June 5, 1979 ·
Primary role: Bassist, lyricist, co-founder of Fall Out Boy ·
Number of children: 3 ·
Height: 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) ·
Known diagnosis: Bipolar disorder

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Co-founded Fall Out Boy in 2001 (Wikipedia)
  • Diagnosed with bipolar disorder; has taken medication since age 18 (People)
  • Married Ashlee Simpson in 2008; divorced in 2011 (Fall Out Boy Wiki)
  • Father of three children: Bronx, Saint, and Marvel (Fall Out Boy Wiki)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact net worth figures remain speculative; no verified public audit
  • Specific date of marriage to Meagan Camper not widely reported in high-authority media
  • Detailed breakdown of his 2009 hiatus beyond reported mental health challenges
3Timeline signal
  • 2005: Suicide attempt by Ativan overdose (Top40-Charts)
  • 2009-2013: Band hiatus; mental health became more difficult (People)
  • 2013: Fall Out Boy returned with ‘Save Rock and Roll’ (Wikipedia)
4What’s next
  • Fall Out Boy continues touring and recording; new music expected in 2025-2026
  • Wentz remains active in mental health advocacy campaigns
  • Fatherhood and family life are central to his current public identity

The contradiction: a musician who writes angst-fueled anthems also built a stable family, one child at a time.

Attribute Value
Full name Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III
Date of birth June 5, 1979
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Diagnosis Bipolar disorder
Number of children 3
Current band Fall Out Boy
The upshot

For a musician who entered the pop-punk spotlight in his early 20s, Wentz’s public trajectory shows a person who leveraged fame to speak openly about conditions that still carry stigma — and whose personal life became tabloid currency precisely because the relationships were with other public figures.

What is Pete Wentz diagnosed with?

Public disclosure of bipolar disorder

One stark episode in his history: in February 2005, Wentz attempted suicide by overdosing on Ativan, a medication prescribed for anxiety, in a Chicago Best Buy parking lot. He later had his stomach pumped at a hospital, according to multiple secondary reports (Top40-Charts). The event was later referenced in the Fall Out Boy song “7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)” (Wikipedia).

The implication: Wentz did not just survive the pressures of fame; he turned his diagnosis into a tool for public education.

Impact on his music and advocacy

  • Wentz has used his platform to raise mental health awareness, participating in campaigns and speaking directly to fans about therapy and medication (People).
  • The band’s late-2009 hiatus saw Wentz’s mental health become more difficult, as reported by People, and he moved back in with his parents in Wilmette, Illinois, after the suicide attempt.

The catch: Wentz’s mental health journey became part of his legacy rather than a footnote.

Why this matters

For millions of fans who grew up with Fall Out Boy’s lyrics about isolation and anxiety, Wentz’s disclosure provides a real-world framework: a public figure who both succeeded commercially and managed a serious condition openly — a rare combination in the music industry’s culture of silence.

What happened to Pete from Fall Out Boy?

Band hiatus and return

  • Fall Out Boy went on an extended hiatus from 2009 to 2013, during which Wentz struggled with his mental health (People).
  • The band returned in 2013 with the album “Save Rock and Roll,” re-establishing their presence in the pop-punk and alternative scene (Wikipedia).
  • Since returning, the band has released multiple albums, including “American Beauty/American Psycho” (2015) and “So Much (for) Stardust” (2023), and continues to tour internationally.

Personal challenges and growth

  • After the suicide attempt, Wentz moved back in with his parents in Wilmette, Illinois (Top40-Charts).
  • He has been open about struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, describing his experience in multiple interviews (People).
  • Fatherhood changed his perspective: “I want to be present for my kids,” he told People, framing his recovery as a sustained effort.

The catch: While the band’s hiatus was presented publicly as a creative break, the private reality was a period of severe personal crisis. Wentz’s return to music was also a return to life.

How many children does Pete Wentz have?

Son Bronx Mowgli Wentz

  • Bronx Mowgli Wentz was born in 2008 to Wentz and Ashlee Simpson. Simpson confirmed her pregnancy two weeks after their May 2008 wedding (Fall Out Boy Wiki).
  • Bronx is the couple’s only child together.

Son Saint Laszlo Wentz

  • Saint Laszlo Wentz was born on August 21, 2014, to Wentz and Meagan Camper (Fall Out Boy Wiki).
  • The pregnancy was announced on February 17, 2014 (Fall Out Boy Wiki).

Daughter Marvel Jane Wentz

  • Marvel Jane Wentz was born on April 21, 2018, also to Wentz and Meagan Camper (Fall Out Boy Wiki).
  • The pregnancy was announced on January 2, 2018 (Fall Out Boy Wiki).

The pattern: Wentz’s family grew in distinct phases — one child during his marriage to Simpson, and two more after he settled into a quieter, less public partnership with Camper. Fatherhood became the stable narrative arc of his adult life.

Why did Kim and Pete split up?

Reported reasons for breakup

  • Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson split in 2022. Sources cited busy schedules and distance as factors, according to reporting from Variety (entertainment industry news outlet).
  • The relationship was brief, lasting approximately nine months.

Public statements from Kim Kardashian

  • In a 2023 interview with Variety, Kardashian described the split as amicable, saying they simply had different priorities at the time.
  • No public statements from Davidson have contradicted this account.

What this means: The relationship between Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson — a brief, heavily covered pairing — ultimately collapsed under the weight of two demanding public schedules. It was a classic Hollywood story of timing, not conflict.

Who was Pete Wentz in love with?

Relation with Ashlee Simpson

  • Wentz married Ashlee Simpson on May 17, 2008, at Simpson’s parents’ residence in Encino, California, with her father officiating (Fall Out Boy Wiki).
  • Simpson filed for divorce on February 8, 2011, citing irreconcilable differences, and the divorce was finalized on November 22, 2011 (Fall Out Boy Wiki).

Other known relationships

  • Wentz reportedly dated Kim Kardashian briefly in 2006, before either reached the peak of their respective fame.
  • He married Meagan Camper — a registered nurse — in 2018, though the exact date of marriage has not been widely publicized in high-authority media (Fall Out Boy Wiki).

The trade-off: Wentz’s most famous relationships were with celebrities (Simpson, Kardashian), but his longest partnership has been with someone outside the entertainment industry entirely — a choice that insulated his family from the media cycle he knows intimately.

Timeline

  • 1979 — Born in Wilmette, Illinois.
  • 2001 — Co-founded Fall Out Boy with Joe Trohman (Top40-Charts).
  • 2005 — Band achieves mainstream success with “From Under the Cork Tree”; Wentz attempts suicide by Ativan overdose (Top40-Charts).
  • 2008 — Married Ashlee Simpson; son Bronx born (Fall Out Boy Wiki).
  • 2009 — Band goes on hiatus; Wentz struggles with mental health (People).
  • 2011 — Divorce from Ashlee Simpson finalized (Fall Out Boy Wiki).
  • 2013 — Fall Out Boy returns with album “Save Rock and Roll” (Wikipedia).
  • 2014 — Son Saint Laszlo born (Fall Out Boy Wiki).
  • 2018 — Daughter Marvel Jane born; married Meagan Camper (Fall Out Boy Wiki).
  • 2022 — Brief relationship with Kim Kardashian ends (Variety).
Bottom line: Pete Wentz is not simply the bassist who wrote angsty punk lyrics — he survived a serious suicide attempt, built a family across two relationships, and turned his bipolar diagnosis into a public advocacy platform. For fans exploring his biography, the takeaway is that his lyrics were never just performance.
Additional sources

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Frequently asked questions

Is Pete Wentz still in Fall Out Boy?

Yes, Pete Wentz is still an active member of Fall Out Boy, which continues to tour and release new music as of 2025.

Does Pete Wentz have any tattoos?

Yes, Wentz is known for having numerous tattoos, including a large back piece and various arm and chest tattoos that reference Fall Out Boy lyrics and personal motifs.

What is Pete Wentz’s shoe size?

Pete Wentz’s shoe size is reported as 9.5 (US) / 42 (EU).

What other bands has Pete Wentz been in?

Besides Fall Out Boy, Wentz has been involved in side projects including the electronic/dance project Black Cards and a one-off band with Bebe Rexha and producer Mighty Mike.

Where did Pete Wentz go to college?

Wentz attended DePaul University in Chicago, where he studied political science but left one semester shy of graduation (Fall Out Boy Wiki).

How old is Pete Wentz?

Born June 5, 1979, Pete Wentz is 45 years old as of 2025.

What is Pete Wentz’s natural hair color?

Pete Wentz’s natural hair color is brown, though he has dyed it black for much of his public career.

For readers trying to make sense of the Wentz story, the choice is clear: pop-punk’s most famous bassist built a career on vulnerability, then had to live out its consequences in public. The rest — the relationships, the children, the tours — is the foundation he built on the other side.

The trade-off

Wentz’s willingness to speak about his suicide attempt and bipolar disorder opened a door for fans to discuss mental health, but it also locked him into a narrative where every professional move is read through the lens of his diagnosis. For someone still writing music for millions, that’s a delicate balance.

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