Devone Byrd/PacificCoastNews.comForget about saving rock 'n' roll. Pete Wentz's biggest priority was saving himself from the emotional fallout caused by his 2011 divorce from Ashlee Simpson.
In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, Fall Out Boy's bassist and principle lyricist talked candidly about the shocking split and how it left him in a seriously fragile state—to the point where he began abusing the prescription drugs Xanax and Klonopin.
"I was probably physically and mentally addicted," Wentz told the magazine. "It started from insomnia and anxiety from flying, then it spiraled."
The couple officially broke up in February 2011 after Ashlee filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. At that point, the rocker—whose band was on hiatus at the time but whose future was in doubt—admitted falling into a deep funk.
"I felt like a loser already," noted Wentz. "I'd basically gone from being the guy in Fall Out Boy to being the guy, who, like, hangs out all day. I didn't see how I'd ever come out on the other side."
To make matters worse, the pill-popping began to take its toll, leaving him increasingly paranoid.
"I was scared of everything. I thought there were always people listening to me," he confessed. "Like, I had my house searched for bugs. It was crazy."'
Thankfully, Wentz got his act together with the help of regular therapy and his desire to be a good dad to their 4-year-old son, Bronx.
"You're up in the morning, and you have to really be there," said the 33-year-old musician. "It's not like getting up for a radio interview. In some ways, that was super helpful for my soul."
Wentz has a healthier and happier outlook on life these days. Not only does he have a new ladylove, model Meagan Camper, but Fall Out Boy announced in February they were getting back together.
The band just released a new album, Save Rock and Roll, and are set to kick off their first tour in four years on May 12 at the Majestic Theater in Madison, Wis.