Weezer bassist’s ex-wife, Jillian Lauren, breaks silence on shooting incident and arrest: “My world fell to pieces”
Jillian Lauren, the ex-wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, has opened up for the first time about her arrest earlier this year.
Lauren was arrested in April after allegedly firing in the direction of officers. It came after the Los Angeles Police Department scoured her local area for an unrelated hit-and-run suspect.
According to audio released by the Los Angeles Police Department, Lauren appeared to believe that she was shooting at the hit-and-run suspects, unaware that they were police officers.
In September, Lauren was found eligible to enter a two-year mental health diversion programme after entering her plea. As part of the conditions, she can be randomly drug and alcohol tested over the next two years.
Now, in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Lauren reflected on the life-shattering incident, stating, “I was doing the best I knew to protect my family.” The best-selling author also said that the “impulse was self-defense”.
Additionally, Lauren opened up about the wider impact of the event, sharing, “My world fell to pieces around me in a heartbeat.”
She recently filed for divorce from the Weezer bassist after being married for 20 years and sharing two children together. In the new interview, Lauren said they had been gradually growing apart for many years, and the incident with the police brought it to a “crisis” point.
However, in the interview, she maintained, “He’s still my best friend. We still have beautiful kids together and have always really supported each other in our various transformations.”
Lauren added of the arrest, “It’s like, you spend your whole life just getting an entire deck of cards in order. And just take them and throw them up in the air one day, and I’m still waiting to see how they’re gonna land.”
Additionally, the author opened up about her battle with PTSD, revealing, “My PTSD is a very real thing. I’m a victim of sex trafficking and domestic violence. … When the headlines said ‘Mental Health Diversion,’ what I really thought was, ‘OK, good. People are so scared to talk about this.’ I’m in a position where I can speak to it.”
Scott Shriner has stayed relatively quiet on Lauren’s legal troubles and performed at Coachella with Weezer just days after her arrest.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.