Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz engaged

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Ashlee Simpson and her boyfriend Pete Wentz, bassist for the band Fall Out Boy, are engaged to marry, Simpson's spokeswoman said on Thursday.

The pair, who have been romantically linked since 2006, posted a statement at the social networking Web site friendsorenemies.com in which they say "we are thrilled to share that we are happily engaged."

"We consider this to be a very private matter, but we wanted you to hear it straight from us," the pair said.

Simpson, 23, the younger sister of singer and actress Jessica Simpson, has forged her own singing and acting career.

She had a role in the television show "Seventh Heaven" and recorded albums including her 2004 debut work, "Autobiography."

Wentz, 28, co-founded pop punk band Fall Out Boy in 2001, and the band, for which he is also the lyricist, has built a loyal following with albums that include 2005's popular "From Under the Cork Tree."

Reuters/Nielsen