Pete's Suicide Confession!

Filed under: Pete Wentz > Mary J. Blige

In an effort to encourage students suffering from mental illness to get help, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz has revealed that he was once so depressed he tried to kill himself.

Wentz has joined diva Mary J. Blige and Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan to front the Jed Foundation's Half Of Us campaign, which is aimed at cutting student suicide rates.

Wentz, Blige and Corgan sat for interviews, in which they detail their darkest hours. The interviews appear on MTV's college channel mtvU.

In Wentz's video he admits to being paralysed by anxiety and depression at the beginning of his career and he felt so lost and alone he attempted suicide.

"I got in my car. I remember I was listening to Jeff Buckley doing Leonard Cohen's (song) Hallelujah and sat there and took a bunch of (prescription drug) Adavan in a Best Buy (store) parking lot.

"And I called up my manager because I was, at that point, completely out of my head with Adavan. And I was talking to him and I was slurring my words, so he called my mom and my mom called me and she came and got me and we went to the hospital.

"I came home and we realised that we needed to do more than just keep (my) head above water. 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."

Hey y'all…see, if you are feeling helpless and lost, you aren't alone.

Suicide is never the answer!

Please reach out and get some help.

[Image via WENN.]

Posted: Mar 19, 2008 at 12:40 pm / Email this »

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234 comments to “Pete's Suicide Confession!”

More comments: [1] 2 3 »

ArmPitt™ says – reply to this

1

Poor dude
awwwwww says – reply to this

2

FIRST! i feel sry for him.
CVCastro says – reply to this

3

First
Moni says – reply to this

4

FIRST
mags* says – reply to this

5

first* thats amazing that he has the courage to do that
pharmacist says – reply to this

6

it's spelled Ativan (R)
andrea says – reply to this

7

wow
tim says – reply to this

8

Amen to that!
IVIA says – reply to this

9

i will kill miyself if i were u
kat says – reply to this

10

way late on this news, he spoke about it in Alternative Press like 2 years ago.
Amy says – reply to this

11

2nd??..but he's happy nw..
bri says – reply to this

12

sad. poor pete. suicide is never the answer
whatever says – reply to this

13

first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! who cares
me says – reply to this

14

It's Ativan not Adavan
maddie says – reply to this

15

i hate to tell you perez but he "confessed" to this a couple of years ago in AP (alternative press). I know it was the october issue, of 2006 maybe
Areilla says – reply to this

16

I think mental health is a serious issue with teenagers nowadays I'm glad to see some of Lala Land stepping up to bring light to this once hushed up epidemic! Suicide is never the answer! Kudos!!
fuckin cell phones says – reply to this

17

damn cell phones!!! we could have saved ourselves the pain of having to listen to that crappy ass music that his shit band puts out if those pills had done their job and he didnt have a cell phone!!! who cares about this guy?? hes a wannabe rock star dating a loser Simpson whore….fuck him!!
me says – reply to this

18

FIRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTT
Kay says – reply to this

19

Everyone knew this before you I guess
jillian says – reply to this

20

Oh pete, i love u soo much!
your turn Perez says – reply to this

21

hey perez, if i supply the Ativan and drive you to Best Buy, will you do us all the favor?
whatwhat says – reply to this

22

first bitches!
manger4 says – reply to this

23

First Bitches
Lena says – reply to this

24

I was one of those kids
get help
maddie says – reply to this

25

i hate to tell you perez but this isn't the first time he "confessed" this. it is actually pretty widely known considering that he talked about it in the October 2006 issue of AP (Alternative Press Magazine; they were ghost hunters in the photos, quite hot actually)
Ellen says – reply to this

26

omg who cares about pete wentz and mary give me billy corgan quotes!!!! he is my idol and a true talent!!!! disarm me w/ a smile billy!!! i love u!!!!!
Tom Cruise says – reply to this

27

depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, it is not made up!
adri says – reply to this

28

not 1st
Khilton says – reply to this

29

so glad he's doing this! younger kids need someone to relate to
Schizm says – reply to this

30

And this is news because……..

Oh. And Perez. Just go get the whole fucking operation already. You look and act like a fat lesbian bitch as it is.
olivia says – reply to this

31

this is bare oldness. soz perez but wayyyy old!!!!!!!!!!!! like from last year at least- videos and everything.
he has wrinkles says – reply to this

32

ewwwwwww shut the fuck up. why does he want pitty.

hes trying so hard to look emo
ANDY27 says – reply to this

33

I WANT EAT OUT BRAD PITT'S ASSHOLE ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!
I WANT EAT OUT BRAD PITT'S ASSHOLE ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!
I WANT EAT OUT BRAD PITT'S ASSHOLE ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!
I WANT EAT OUT BRAD PITT'S ASSHOLE ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!
I WANT EAT OUT BRAD PITT'S ASSHOLE ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!
I WANT EAT OUT BRAD PITT'S ASSHOLE ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!
I WANT EAT OUT BRAD PITT'S ASSHOLE ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!
I WANT EAT OUT BRAD PITT'S ASSHOLE ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!
megs says – reply to this

34

That's cool of him…
millertime says – reply to this

35

ATTENTION FUCKIN SEEKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ATTENTION FUCKIN SEEKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
clara says – reply to this

36

pete wentz is such a cunt he shouldn't be allowed to listen to jeff buckley
Miss Molly says – reply to this

37

Wow - this is great. I am so glad he said it's not about keeping your head above water and barely surviving, but about being okay in your skin. That is so true. Because, there is so much time spent in that mode, before the actual point of suicide, where people don't realize that now is the time for help - not just when you are about to pull the trigger and/or miss. That life can be better than just struggle to breathe all the time. It's very courageous and helpful for these people to speak out and share; I hope it helps others to seek help.

Perez, hats off to you for keeping your eye on the ball. I love, love, love the tough love against celebs / people with their heads up their asses, the love towards those with their priorities straight, and also, more importantly, the consistent anti-smoking, anti-drinking and driving, anti-drug, seek help, suicide-is-not-the-answer attitude. Seriously, for every person who ever criticizes you, dare them to ignore that your real messages are in EXACTLY the right place. Thank you so much.
stace says – reply to this

38

Ativan!!! love it! it's like drinking booze but in pill forum
rachel says – reply to this

39

pete wentz is such an asshole he shouldnt be allowed to listen to jeff buckley
Zany says – reply to this

40

Whatever. He's such a douche, he's probably just making up that shit for attention.
ursaminorjim says – reply to this

41

I know the feeling, Pete. Jeff Buckley's turgid cover of "Hallelujah" makes me wanna gulp down a fistful of Adavan, too.
LA REINE says – reply to this

42

This is sad. Suicide is not the answer. Your not alone.
Kaitlyn says – reply to this

43

POOR PETE! D:
Courtney says – reply to this

44

He released that vid on Halfofus.com like a year ago, when Max Bemis from Say Anything released a vid about being Bipolar.
Still post-worthy though!
Jordan says – reply to this

45

Courage? Brave? Jesus Christ. Listening to Leonard Cohen? You are so deep, you fucking emo asshat. "I once thought about killing myself". WHAT TEENAGER DOESN'T? Boy, that Pete Wentz, he's on to something… I fucking hate this dude. He should have swallowed some glass and done postal in a hot topic, taking out all the pimple faced chicks on here that read Alternative Press. Then I would never have to see minions of screenprinted skull hoodies. Go cry me a river with your millions of dollars. Its so hard being you. Asshole.
Brittany says – reply to this

46

That's going to help a lot of kids.
pretty. odd. says – reply to this

47

old news…
Jemma says – reply to this

48

Just to point this out, it has been common knowledge for at least 3 years that he did this so it's not really news
jimmyjazz says – reply to this

49

Thank you Pete. All right……I almost did it too. When I came out…I was dropped by friends and my Dad said he would disown me if I was "queer." I called a gun store and was going to shoot myself on New Years Eve. At the same time..a local religious nut got a law passed in my city making it legal to fire Gays. It was only then at 22 that I started hitting the Gay clubs. It was the first time people started telling me I was "hot." After awhile, I finally started believing it. I got involved in politics and helped get that anti Gay law off the books. That got me a job at the Mayor's office and a reputation amonst conservative councilmembers as someone to avoid when they saw me coming. Duck for cover bitches! I also wrote down my feelings in my column for the local Gay rag and didn't hold back…as you can imagine. Now I see Gays being more visible than ever…and a country that's this close to putting a woman or a black man in the White House. I'm glad I didn't buy the gun.
DEPRESSIONISNOLAUGHINGMATTER says – reply to this

50

From what I understand..a lot of guys and girls Pete's age go through depression and thoughts of suicide and other abnormal behavior such as fearing death, etc. I think more discussion in the early teen years and more public awareness is needed.
rachel says – reply to this

51

This came out years ago
I agree though, suicidal thoughts are so hard to cope with. I should know, I was one of those people, still am…..
Good luck to everyone that feels like this x
ines says – reply to this

52

este chico me parece muy guapo
Leslie says – reply to this

53

Adavan?

…Wowww, morons.
Dave says – reply to this

54

"cutting student suicide rates"

HAHA…that is a classic line.
snowbaby says – reply to this

55

Re: Miss Molly –
Great post! I totally agree!
jason says – reply to this

56

this is such old news, he said this YEARS ago…..fail
ME says – reply to this

57

ABOUT TIME Perez posts a positive message about mental illness. I am glad that people are speaking out more on depression. It will help others not feel ashamed about getting help, HOWEVER, schizophrenia continues to drag this stigma along with it. My brother has it and feels like bombs are headed towards him ALL THE TIME when not on meds. He also attempted suicide twice, not from only depression but the realization that he will have this disease for life and will have to overcome MANY obstacles. Social situations will be difficult for him, he won't want to voice his situation to others for most will judge him. He has to feel as though he is CRAZY and PSYCHO and all because he hears voices that are caused by a chemical balance. The media doesn't help, they only report on the negative aspects of the disease because the media loves to instill FEAR in the public. What most don't know is that the majority of those suffering from this disease are victimized, not the other way around. 1 in 100 people are affected and most of you probably won't care until it hits closer to home. You should educate yourself so you make others dealing with this feel accepted in society. Please think the next time you call someone crazy or psycho because I can tell you that is just as bad as calling an African American N*GGER.
biilycorganlover says – reply to this

58

billy rocks!!! pete u suck and cant even compare to corgan. its sad that loosers w/ no talent get so much publicity and hype and true musicians like corgan dont get nearly as much………
sloane says – reply to this

59

i thought that was pretty interesting that he mentioned his manager got in touch with his mom….hollywood needs more of that! it's great that he actually listens to his mother and that his manger thought of her as the first person to call.
christine says – reply to this

60

i have been listening to that song for 5 days trying to get the nerve up i am just scared who will find me and when since i am alone with my dog
Pete's an idiot. says – reply to this

61

Swallowing 6 Ativan will not kill you. By any means.

If that was a suicide attempt, it was pretty weak. Cyanide works better, asshole.
Shamus Goldensteinbergbaum says – reply to this

62

This one of those pranks concocted by Ashton Kutcher! shame on him!
christine says – reply to this

63

Re: christine – and i am not a teenage or even 20 something
hb says – reply to this

64

Hey Wentz…learn how to correctly spell your drugs!!! Dumb shit.
Me says – reply to this

65

First off - CHRISTINE - Dont do anything to harm yourself, theres a reason why you're in this world.

Secondly - Thank you Perez, for posting this article. It gives young people an insight into their Idols minds and makes them realize that everyone feels down at some point or another. Mental health is not a joke, its not something to laugh at as some people here are doing. It serious.
Teri says – reply to this

66

Unfortunately, It wasn't the smartest suicide attempt. You can't OD on Adavan. No matter how much you take you wont die. Someone close to me did the same thing, he slept for 3 days in the hospital. The doctors say it is a call for help. You would have a better time killing yourself taking a bunch of Tylenol. Why'd he have Adavan anyway?
smorf says – reply to this

67

now he is dating a Simpson which is career suicide
L says – reply to this

68

dude that's not news it has been out for years! hence the song "7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)".
smoky says – reply to this

69

just shut up and smoke some weeed. weed always makes me happy.
:/ says – reply to this

70

please..who hasn't felt that way. i've felt that way a dozen times in my life. what sucks is that in order to get a good therapist in this country…you need to have insurance or money…if you don't have either…you're basically fucked. that's the truth.

if you're blessed enough to have parents who have insurance and who are supportive and don't run away from the idea of mental illness then you should definitely take advantage and seek treatment or tell a school counseler.

unfortunately for many in this country, it's not that easy…no matter what age.

good luck to all. i pray that anyone who's feeling that terrible in this world has the courage to confide in a good friend who can help them out.

and for those of you who have never felt this way..please don't judge people who are depressed or label them as being "weak and unable to handle life's problems" b/c it's a lot more complicated than that. that's the worst thing that you could say or think about a person suffering from depression.

you need to have the courage to support them, even just say something nice to them. good words and deeds go a long way. always remember that you may be saving someone's life by a simply smiling at the school outcast.

xoxo
Rich says – reply to this

71

It's a shame that he didn't kill himself. Think of a world with no Fall Out Boy. That's the kind of world that I want to live in.
Sophie California says – reply to this

72

Okay, it's easy to just say "Suicide is not the answer…" but some people are just living in their own living hell every single day and ending it all is the only answer! I had a very close friend who committed suicide when we were 20 and nobody could help him and he had it all. He got sick while at university and it all went down hill from then onwards. Everyone has their own reasons for depression and like alcoholism and drug use, it can never go away and not everyone can be saved.
Pete has talked openly about his problems with mental illness before in interviews and of course he regrets taking that overdose, but at the time he was in a bad way. Luckily for him, his friends and family have stuck by him all this time and he has a lot of support, but not everyone is a lucky as Pete, Billy and all these successful people who admit to having struggled with depression.
Courtney says – reply to this

73

Adavan is spelled wrong.. it is Ativan. It is a benzodiazapine.
sicktodeath says – reply to this

74

This has been flaunted over and over and over. Wentz needs to quit his whining and just shut up!
me says – reply to this

75

old news… this story was in i think Rolling Stone. i believe in 2006…
EmoTwatGrundle says – reply to this

76

Ooooooooooooh NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! HOW TRAGIC!!! PETE WENTZ FROM FALLOUT BOY!!!!!!! Ugh. talk about suicide and more emo teeny boppers will buy your record. "life is Pain" bullshit…go fight in Iraq for 6 months and talk about seeing horror you cocks.
blue_Shoe says – reply to this

77

It's great that he's sharing and that you're helping him share, but this is sooo not news.. This was filmed last year.
Kiki says – reply to this

78

ativan not adavan stupid!!!!!!!!!
Tiffanyj2006 says – reply to this

79

This is seriously old news. Oh and listen to the song Hum Hallelujah on FOB's album Infinity on High and it all makes sense.
MJ says – reply to this

80

why didn't he just did it?just do it pete wentz,just die already! u fucking fag! fuck u!!!!!
Lynnie says – reply to this

81

It is spelled Ativan, by the by. It is a benzo and goes by the generic name of Lorazepam. I know this because I am prescribed to it for anxiety disorder. You could, ostensibly, kill yourself with it. It is a narcotic and more potent than Valium or Klonopin.

That reminds me…need to make a doc appointment today. Hahaha. Er, yeah.
ed says – reply to this

82

WHO THE FUCK IS THIS ASSHOLE AND DOES ANYONE OUT THERE GIVE TWO FLYING SHITS ABOUT HIM? PEREZ, WHY DO YOU KEEP PROMOTING THE HELL OUT OF NO TALENT JACKOFFS WHO YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? ENOUGH ALREADY!
anna says – reply to this

83

this news is old as fuck.
Summer says – reply to this

84

hey, this might actually help some people…not fill their brains with pointless stories of rich people that got an idea from somewhere that they are important.
p says – reply to this

85

HE SHOULD HAVE JUST KILLED HIMSELF AND PUT US ALL OUT OF MISERY! HE SUCKS!!
Stacey says – reply to this

86

If you are going to od on it at least spell it right. It is ATIVAN.
emma says – reply to this

87

Re: Rich – thats the funniest thing ive read all day. i feel your pain.
emily says – reply to this

88

This is hardly new news, or has just been "revealed". this happened just before their 3rd album dropped - early 2005.
Amy Crackhouse says – reply to this

89

ATTENTION WHORE!!!!!

First of all it's nearly impossible to ingest enough Ativan to kill you.

So all of this is for some attention. Fuck you attention whore. If you were really suicidal you would have kept this to yourself and not tried to get public pity. Plus it sounds like the worst half ass "suicide attempt" ever.

Next time put a fucking plastic bag over your head, and take more than the LDlo or the LD50! Or at least park the car in a garage. Geez, you didn't even have any booze with it. Seriously if you didn't have any liver damage from pills then you weren't even trying!

Finally isn't Ativan a DATE RAPE DRUG? WHY THE FUCK DOES HE HAVE IT? IS HE DRUGGING PEOPLE TO HAVE SEX WITH THEM?
christina says – reply to this

90

ATIVAN not ADAVAN. if he wrote that then i don't believe it. if he was prescibed the drug he would know the spelling of the name.
Mel says – reply to this

91

it's Ativan.
SheSaidHeSaid says – reply to this

92

I would think Wentz' stupid emo image contributes more to the dramatization of teen-aged life. Kids are young and impressionable and will make life-altering (ending) changes if they feel validated to do so in some way. EMOtions shouldn't be painted so negatively or even as some sort of subversive act, its just dumb.
Mel says – reply to this

93

WOW.. k.. First of all, its "Ativan"

And, for the moron claiming you cant OD from it.. Absolutely untrue.. Not only can you die taking too much, once you've become addicted, you can die just from the withdrawl proccess.. Very serious drug.
eli says – reply to this

94

OLD NEWS. seriously perez. get with it.
this happened a good 6 years ago.
seriously dude, i thought you were supposed to be good with this stuff
Realist says – reply to this

95

Ativan??? For suicide??? He better have had more than a couple of bottles…..and some booze. Sounds like a cry for attention to me.
KATE says – reply to this

96

this isn't news.
Urlacher says – reply to this

97

In this case Suicide IS in fact the solution.
caitlin says – reply to this

98

he's full of shit, even "emo rocker" says they've tried to kill themselves
katie says – reply to this

99

are you serious?

he confessed to this YEARS ago.

what do you think 7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen) was named after?

wow Perez.
Amy Crackhouse says – reply to this

100

Re: Mel –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorazepam#Adverse_effects

dumbass, the LD50 is 50mg/kg, that would be (for a 120lbs man) at least 1350 2mg pills (which most doctors usually don't perscribe them at that high of a dose, it's usually perscribed at the 1mg level, which means 2700 pill for LD50), and that only kills 50% of the people that take that dose. And on top of that for an otherwise healthy person the LD50 is usually non-fatal. He'd have to have a large supply and cookie monster that shit in his mouth!

So Mel let the adults talk, and you go back to your emo teenybopper idol worship.