April 16, 2008

Ashlee Simpson Talks About Pregnancy Rumors During Visit To MTV

By Chris Harris, with reporting by Kim Stolz (MTV.com)

Is she or isn't she? That's the question Ashlee Simpson fans have been asking since last week, when rumors began spreading that the pop star is pregnant with fiancé/ Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's child. While Wentz denied the reports in an exclusive interview with MTV News on Monday, that hasn't stopped the mill from churning.

When Ashlee stopped by MTV headquarters for her appearance on "TRL" Tuesday (April 15) to talk about a subject she's much more comfortable discussing - her new album, Bittersweet World, which we'll have much more on in the coming days - we did have to ask her about the rumors.

"I just think it's an inappropriate question to ask any woman," Simpson told MTV News' Kim Stolz, who followed the question with a list of other celebs - including Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lopez, who were the subject of similar speculation for months before finally coming clean.

"For me, that's something that I didn't ever want to respond to, because I think it's an inappropriate question," Simpson said. "Some things, you want to keep personal, and I think that when people deny [reports that they're pregnant], it's probably because it's something they want to keep personal."

Of course, rumors about Simpson being pregnant have been swirling ever since the couple began dating. On Monday, Wentz told MTV News the rumors are just that.

"There is a witch hunt for people to be pregnant whenever they get engaged in Hollywood," he wrote in an e-mail. "This is all news to me. I can't wait for the story about how I'm really in a gay relationship and this is all just a cover. ... I mean really, this is crazy. ... I mean we're engaged, that's true, and happy about it."

Pregnant or not, Simpson sure does take her personal business seriously. The singer declined to discuss what wedding plans, if any, the couple have already made, nor would she divulge just how Wentz popped the question.

"That's all so sacred, I need to keep that to myself," she said. "But he did a great job at picking out the ring," which she added she wasn't wearing because it's being resized. Simpson also said that the couple announced their engagement online because they wanted the news to come directly from them.

"It was important for us," she said. "There was a story coming out and people, with their stories, always write untrue things, and we wanted to let our fans know from us."