Romance Report for Feb. 10: Pleas and Problems

Pete Wentz apparently wasn't the one chafing from the ball and chain. TMZ says it was Ashlee Simpson who pulled the plug on their nearly 3-year marriage, despite her husband's attempts to talk her out of it.

If true, that means Ashlee has more in common with big sister Jessica than just getting hitched without a prenup: When Jess ended her marriage to Nick Lachey in 2005, he reportedly pleaded with her to reconsider. She did not.

As for what caused Pete and Ashlee's marital rift, theories include the musician's supposedly "erratic" behavior; the couple's unhappiness over settling down so young; Ashlee's resentment over Pete being on the road and away from her and 2-year-old son Bronx; and the all-purpose growing apart excuse.

And while a source assures People mag that the split is amicable, another insider snipes to the Chicago Sun-Times, "To be blunt, Pete is a helluva lot smarter than Ashlee. … After a while I think she realized she just couldn't keep up with him in a lot of areas."

Sighs a source to RadarOnline, “It’s a really sad situation because they do genuinely love each other, and I would pretty much swear that neither of them is seeing someone else. But they just want totally different things in life, and neither one is willing to compromise.”

Read on for more breakup speculation …