Hoppus 'shocked by Simpson, Wentz split'

Blink 182 vocalist Mark Hoppus has said that he was surprised that his friends Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson split.

"Pete is a very good friend... It really caught me off guard," he told PopEater. "I had no idea."

Hoppus added: "I mean, I'm friends with him and Ashlee - our families go out and have meals together and our kids play together."

The rocker also encouraged the pair to remain on cordial terms for the sake of their 2-year-old son Bronx Mowgli.

"I hope that they're in a good spot because they're both very nice people and I hope they can work things through in a positive way because that's a really sad thing to have happen, especially when there's a kid involved," he explained.

It was previously reported that Wentz and Simpson were spotted having lunch together on Monday.