Pete Wentz Considered Suicide

Sometimes I wonder what Ashlee Simpson sees in Pete Wentz. But then there’s times like this, when I see him open up about something very personal and I get it. Pete recently gave an interview where he revealed that he’d tried to take his own life. He shared this so young people his own age would seek help if they were also struggling with the same feelings of depression.

He said he “was left paralyzed by anxiety and depression at the beginning of his career” and wanted “to end his life.”

Pete describes how doctors treated his condition in the beginning, and says:

“I got in my car. I remember I was listening to Jeff Buckley doing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and sat there and took a bunch of Adavan in a Best Buy parking lot.”

He called his manager at that point, and his manager and mother took him to the hospital. Pete added that:

“It’s not really about keeping your head above water, it’s about feeling all right and feeling safe in your own skin. It’s not about keeping your head above water and barely keep going.”

I can’t help believing that listening to “Hallelujah” gave Pete the push toward making the call that would save his life. The song is beautiful, so filled with emotion that you can’t help but think about your life and about faith. Jason Castro sang it a few weeks ago on Idol, and even though I didn’t love the way Jason did it, I was reminded of what a moving and lovely song it is.

Here’s a clip from the Jeff Buckley version: