Pete Wentz thankful for Charlie Sheen

Pete Wentz is thankful for Charlie Sheen.

The Fall Out Boy bassist - who is divorcing Ashlee Simpson after almost three years of marriage - says he is glad that the troubled 'Two and a Half Men' actor is dominating recent headlines because he thinks it distracts the media from speculating about him and his family.

He said: "I think that one of the things, the hardest thing, is that when you're a public profile it's hard to maintain your private life, and you wanna do it especially when there's a kid involved.

"It's like the one time on earth I'm like, 'Thank God, Charlie Sheen exists.'"

Pete - who filed a divorce response last week asking Ashlee for joint custody of their son, two-year-old Bronx Mowgli - also revealed that despite the split he and his estranged wife are still "best friends".

He explained on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show: "Ashlee's been my best friend for five years; she's the mother of my child. I have nothing but love and respect for her and going through something like this isn't easy, but we're friends and the most important thing is to put our son first."

The 31-year-old musician also opened up about Bronx, saying despite his parent's separation the little boy is doing "awesome".

He said: "Bronx is doing awesome. It's something new every day. Everything's a new discovery for him. He's opening doors and he wants to paint. He hides cell phones and credit cards."