Ashlee Simpson confirms pregnancy

The couple have been together since 2006

Pop singer Ashlee Simpson has confirmed she is expecting her first child with Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz.

"We wanted to wait until after the first trimester to officially confirm that we are expecting our first child," the couple announced on Wentz's blog.

There has been much speculation over the 23-year-old's pregnancy since the couple became engaged in April.

The pair married at a ceremony at Simpson's family home in California earlier this month.

'Excited'

"This is truly the most joyous time in our lives and we are excited to share the happy news and start our family," they said.

Last month Wentz, 28, dismissed rumours of the pregnancy as "crazy" and sent an email to MTV criticising a "witch-hunt for people to be pregnant whenever they get engaged in Hollywood".

When asked about the rumours by the BBC, Simpson simply said: "I don't like that question."

Simpson also told People magazine she would take her husband's name, being known as Ashlee Wentz privately and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz professionally.

"I think that that's something that a woman should do when they're marrying a man - it's a tradition that I think is a great tradition," she said.

The couple have been together since 2006.