Jillian Lauren, the estranged wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, recently spoke out about the police shooting that happened in April. The 52-year-old author said her “world fell to pieces” after the scary incident. Lauren explained that dealing with everything feels like throwing a deck of cards into the air and waiting to see how they land.
According to US Weekly, the shooting happened in April in Los Angeles. Police officers were looking for a hit-and-run suspect from the day before when things got out of control. Officers saw Lauren outside a nearby house holding a handgun, which led to a tense situation in the backyard.
The Los Angeles Police Department said officers told Lauren to drop the gun many times, but she didn’t listen. When Lauren pointed the gun at the officers, one of them shot her. She was hit in the arm and ran inside the house. Police later found a 9-millimeter handgun at the property.
The divorce hurt more than the shooting headlines
Lauren, who wrote The Everything You Ever Wanted, was arrested for attempted murder. She was released after posting a $1 million bond. While sitting in the holding cell, she tried to stay calm by reading the graffiti on the walls. She said it helped her stop thinking about what happened and imagine who else had been locked up there.
Even though she was first arrested for attempted murder, prosecutors changed the charges. They charged her with negligent discharge of a firearm and assault with a semiautomatic weapon instead. Lauren said she was not guilty but agreed to join a two-year mental health program. Her lawyer, Hilary Potashner, thanked the district attorney for choosing a “fair” solution. Lauren said she joined the program mainly “to protect [her] family.”
Lauren is now using this situation to talk about mental health issues. She explained that she has PTSD from being a victim of sex trafficking and domestic violence in the past. When the news called it “Mental Health Diversion,” she saw a chance to speak up.
She joked about being seen as a “crazy” criminal but quickly added that she’s “in a position where I can speak to it.” Her willingness to discuss these struggles publicly could help others break the silence around mental health issues.
Surprisingly, Lauren said the news coverage of her divorce was actually harder to handle than the shooting headlines. She filed for divorce from Shriner after 20 years of marriage, saying they had “irreconcilable differences.” Shriner, 60, said after her arrest that they were doing “alright” despite the “tough time.”
Lauren admitted the divorce headlines really hurt her. She said, “I was the one who served my husband, but still, to see it in the public was really painful.” She spent the day the news came out hiding under the covers.
Despite the split, the author of Some Girls: My Life in a Harem said Shriner is still her “best friend.” They “grew apart” as a couple but still have children together and support each other. Like many people dealing with frustrating situations in everyday life, Lauren is finding ways to cope with her new reality.
Published: Dec 21, 2025 12:45 pm