ASHLEE SIMPSON-WENTZ
as VIOLET FOSTER

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz stars as Violet Foster, a seemingly naïve young woman who hides a dark side, on The CW's new drama, "Melrose Place."

Born in Waco, Texas, Simpson-Wentz became the youngest person ever admitted to the prestigious American School of Ballet in New York City when she won that honor at the age of 11. After moving to Los Angeles with her family a few years later, Simpson-Wentz began her career in television appearing on "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Saved by the Bell." She further honed her acting chops when she landed a recurring role for two years on "7th Heaven."

In 2004, "The Ashlee Simpson Show" debuted on MTV and went on to become the number 1 show in its primetime slot. Shadowing her life as she recorded her debut album, the show helped catapult Simpson-Wentz into musical stardom. Her debut album "Autobiography," was released in July 2004 and debuted at number 1 on the Billboard album charts, selling over 398,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. It went on to sell more than four million copies worldwide. In January 2005, her number 1 hit single from the album, "Pieces of Me," was certified platinum.

Her sophomore album, "I Am Me," was her second consecutive album to debut at number 1 on the Billboard charts, went on to sell 3 million copies worldwide and yielded the hit singles "Boyfriend" and "L.O.V.E." Simpson-Wentz, who later released her critically acclaimed third album, "Bittersweet World," has also headlined two sold-out national tours.

In 2006, she made her film debut as a supporting actress alongside Kip Pardue and Carrie Fisher in the ensemble film "Undiscovered," about a group of Los Angeles actors and musicians struggling to make it big. Later that year, she took on the lead role of Roxie Hart in London's West End production of "Chicago," to critical acclaim, and following in the footsteps of such greats as Ann Reinking, who originally made the part famous on Broadway. To date, Simpson-Wentz is the youngest person to ever tackle the role of Roxie, and she did it with such grace and aplomb that she was invited to join the likes of Brooke Shields, Melanie Griffith, Rita Wilson, Chita Rivera, Bebe Neuwirth, Joel Grey and Reinking in a special one-night only 10th anniversary benefit performance of "Chicago" on Broadway.

Simpson-Wentz currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, musician Pete Wentz, and son Bronx Mowgli Wentz.