Demi Moore's family is all about the moore, the merrier.
That's why her and ex Bruce Willis' 33-year-old daughter Scout Willis has no ill will toward Ashton Kutcher, who was married to Demi from...
Zachary Leviis officially a dad after his girlfriend, Maggie Keating, gave birth to their first baby.
“Henson Ezra Levi Pugh Born into our world on 04/02/25,” Levi, 44, and Keating, 28, captioned a joint Instagram post on Wednesday, April 9. “Thank you for everyone’s continued love and prayers over the three of us. We can’t wait for you to meet our little man!”
The couple shared a family pic of Henson holding both of his parents’ fingers. The newborn also wore a white onesie that read, “Best thing to come out of 2025.”
Many of Levi and Keating’s celebrity friends sent their well-wishes via the Instagram comments section.
“Awwww congratulations,” Amanda Kloots replied, while comedian Anjelah Johnson proclaimed that she was “so happy” for the pair.
Maggie Keating and Zachary LeviCourtesy of Maggie Keating
The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz, for his part, wrote, “Congrats!! Life will never be the same.”
Levi revealed in December 2024 that Keating was pregnant while sharing his long-held desires to become a parent.
“I’ve wanted to be a dad since I was literally a kid. I’ve always felt that call on my life. This desire in my heart,” Levi wrote. “A strange feeling of incompleteness by not having that level of love and responsibility in my journey. That the best years of my life would be on the other side of finally being a father. But deep down, I knew that there were things in my life that needed to shift before I was ready for the blessing of something so special and the responsibilities that come with it.”
According to Levi, he “started to make some shifts in my life” before Keating’s pregnancy.
“Shifts that ultimately came down to loving and valuing myself more. Prioritizing my own health physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” he added. “And lo and behold, immediately things started to manifest for the better. And, very quickly, God brought a brilliant, honest, grounded, and deep love into my life through the angelic form of @maggiekeating.”
Levi further called Keating a “wonderful woman on the same journey of self-discovery and love.”
Keating, meanwhile, referred to her pregnancy as a “privilege” in her own social media announcement.
“To be able to love you unconditionally is a blessing. To get to be your fiercest protector is an honor. To witness you bloom into the most incredible human will be my greatest joy in life,” she wrote in December 2024. “I can already feel the strength of your soul and energy so deeply that I know you’re going to make such a magnificent impact on our lives, and this world we’re bringing you into. Thank you for choosing @zacharylevi and I, and allowing us to step into our truest purpose together to raise you. God has his hands on us.”
The Judd Family: Truth Be Told trailer teases the “secrets” harbored within the famous family.
“I was so proud of their success,” Ashley Judd said in the Lifetime documentary trailer, which was released on Thursday, April 10, referring to her late mother, Naomi Judd, and sister Wynonna Judd.
Wynonna, 60, painted a darker picture. (She and Naomi were country music duo The Judds from 1983 to 1991.)
“It was magical on stage, but off stage,” she said, trailing off and taking a deep breath. “I was old enough to know that something was wrong.”
Elsewhere in the clip, Ashley, 56, could be seen breaking down in tears.
“She had no idea what I went through as a child,” she said, although it’s unclear who Ashley was referring to.
Several voiceovers could be heard as various Judd family photos flashed on screen.
A+E
“She was afraid telling the truth would break her,” one female voice said. A male voice added, “My grandmother had two brothers who were predators.”
Ashley recalled getting a text from her late mother, Naomi, that read, “Please help,” at one point.
“I’ve never talked about this before,” Wynonna also said. A short clip showed her and Ashley holding hands while standing in a field.
“It was very trying times,” Naomi’s husband, Larry Strickland, said. It seems other family members and country music stars, including Reba McEntire, will be featured in the two-part film as well.
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” Wynonna and Ashley shared in a joint statement at the time. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”
“Now that Mom’s gone, it feels like there’s more of a solidifying — and that grout between the stones is God,” she shared.”We’re both believers so we have such a strong connection now. There’s no drama there, and if there is, it doesn’t last as long as it used to. We’re older now and we realize we have only so much time left.”
The two-part documentary, The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, premieres on Lifetime Saturday, May 10.
UPDATE — 3/10/25, at 4:02 p.m. ET:Scott Shriner will take to the Coachella stage with Weezer despite his wife Jillian Lauren’s legal troubles.
The Hollywood Reporterconfirmed on Thursday, April 10, that the band remains on the California music festival’s lineup despite Lauren’s recent felony arrest for attempted murder. Shriner also confirmed the news on Thursday, telling TMZ, “See you at Coachella!” when a reporter spotted him outside his house.
Weezer and Ed Sheeran were announced to be joining the event’s musical lineup on Saturday, April 5, after FKA Twigs dropped out of her scheduled performance due to visa issues.
Weezer will perform on the festival’s Mojave Stage on Saturday, March 12, while Sheeran, 34, will fill the same stage the following weekend.
Original story:
Jillian Lauren, the wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, was released from police custody after her felony arrest for attempted murder.
Lauren, 51, was released on a $1 million bond on Wednesday, April 9, according to Los Angeles jail records viewed by Us Weekly. Her next hearing is scheduled for April 30.
“On April 8, 2025, around 3:25 p.m., the California Highway Patrol requested a backup locating three misdemeanor hit-and-run suspects, who fled into a residential neighborhood,” an LAPD press release reads. “As the officers were in the rear yard of that residence, they observed a female, later identified as 51-year-old Jillian Shriner, in the yard of a neighboring residence armed with a handgun.”
According to the LAPD, Lauren allegedly refused to drop her weapon and pointed it at one of the officers. Lauren was also struck by a firearm before fleeing into her house.
An ongoing police investigation later confirmed that Lauren was not involved in the hit-and-run. One of the suspects has since been apprehended with two others still at large.
Lauren, meanwhile, was absentee booked for attempted murder, and a 9-millimeter handgun was recovered from her house.
Jenny Anderson/WireImage
Lauren, a true-crime author, has been married to 59-year-old Shriner since 2005. The married couple shares sons Tariku and Jovanni, whom they adopted in 2009 and 2016, respectively.
Shriner broke his silence on Thursday, April 10, telling TMZ that Lauren was doing “alright” and that he “can’t comment” on her ongoing legal situation.
“I’d like to thank the Academy, my amazing hair and makeup team, and the lighting designers here at #glendaleadventisthospital,” Lauren wrote via Instagram on March 4, sharing a pre-op selfie in a hospital bed. “As if they all hadn’t been through enough with the fires right next door! Yes, I have a little bit of the C word y’all. I know a lot of us do.”
She added, “I’m here to thank the incredible oncology team here, who pulled me through a complicated operation without a hitch. I am always so grateful for every second of the compassionate and excellent medical care I receive in my life. Thank you to all the remarkable health care workers, who take our lives in your hands. And let’s all breathe.”
Before the 2025 Masters Tournament began in earnest, the best golfers in the world took to the course at Augusta National with members of their family in tow.
The Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, April 9, provided a chance for the biggest names in the sport — including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka — to have some fun with their wives, partners and children before the tournament officially teed off on Thursday, April 10.
Nicolas Echavarria beat J.J. Spaun in a playoff to win the Par 3 Contest, but the real focus on Wednesday was on the adorable kids who dressed up like mini caddies to help their dads traverse the most famous golf course in the world.
For the best photos and moments from the day and throughout the tournament this weekend, keep reading.
McIlroy, 35, got some assistance from his daughter Poppy, 4, who was seen frequently chasing her dad around the course.
However, it was Poppy’s golf skills that really stole the show.
Poppy hit a miraculous long putt on the 9th hole, which earned the rapturous applause of the gallery and enthusiastic reactions from her father and golfer Shane Lowry.
McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, was also in attendance for the festivities. Stoll and McIlroy reconciled in June 2024 after McIlroy initially filed for divorce from his wife the month prior.
Scheffler’s 11-month-old son, Bennett, was all smiles as he and his mom, Meredith Scheffler, helped caddy for the No. 1 golfer in the world.
Meredith and Scottie, 28, welcomed Bennett in May 2024, just weeks after Scottie won the 2024 Masters Tournament.
Koepka, 34, couldn’t help but laugh as his son Crew, 21 months, did some groundskeeping during the Par 3 Contest.
The golfer and his wife, Jena Sims, announced Crew had been born 6 weeks premature in July 2023.
"He came out crying and breathing 🙏🏻 everything went well," Sims shared via Instagram at the time. "I seriously have never seen or felt so much love and felt more like a team than I have with Brooks throughout all of this. He is already such an amazing father and partner and I was so thankful he was home for this. Couldn't have done it without him."
Sims added, “He made me laugh when I needed to, cried with me, held me, did everything possible he could do to help my healing in the hospital, and I'm just so grateful 🥺.”
Spieth, the 2015 Masters champion, was joined by his wife, Annie Verett, and their two children: son Sammy, 3, and daughter Sophie, 18 months.
In February, Spieth and Verret announced they are expecting their third baby.
Homa, 34, enjoyed some time on the course with his son Cam, 2, and his wife, Lacey Homa, after the couple announced some big news earlier in the week.
“Baby no. 2 coming soon! 😁,” Max shared via Instagram on Tuesday, April 8.
The post was accompanied by a photo of Max, Lacey and Cam standing in front of the iconic Masters clubhouse.
Weezer bassist Scott Shriner has broken his silence on his wife Jillian Lauren‘s arrest following a shootout with police.
“We’re alright, look at us,” Shriner, 59, told TMZ on Thursday, April 10, when asked whether he’s going through a “tough time” right now. He went on to say his wife is “alright” and thanked for the reporter for asking about her but noted he “can’t comment” on her legal situation. When a second reporter approached and asked about the case, Shriner again said he couldn’t comment. “See you at Coachella!” he added before heading through the gate of his home. (Weezer is set to play the California festival on Saturday, April 12.)
Shriner has been the bass guitarist for the rock band Weezer since 2001. He tied the knot with Lauren, 51, in November 2005, and the couple adopted their two sons, Tariku and Jovanni, in 2007 and 2009, respectively.
According to a Wednesday, April 9, press release from the Los Angeles Police Department, Lauren was arrested after authorities pursued a hit-and-run suspect in a residential neighborhood the previous day. Amid the chase, Lauren was observed in a “neighboring residence armed with a handgun.”
“The officers ordered [Lauren] to drop the handgun numerous times,” the statement said. “However, she refused. [Lauren] then pointed the handgun at the officers and an Officer-Involved Shooting occurred.”
Lauren was “struck by gunfire and fled into her residence.” After later exiting the home, she was apprehended and transported to a local hospital to treat a “non-life-threatening gunshot wound.” Lauren was the only individual injured during the altercation.
Amid the investigation surrounding the incident, police determined that Lauren was “uninvolved” in the hit-and-run. While one suspect connected to the hit-and-run was detained by California Highway Patrol and two others remained at large, Lauren was absentee booked for attempted murder, and a nine-millimeter handgun was retrieved from her and Shriner’s residence.
“I’d like to thank the Academy, my amazing hair and makeup team, and the lighting designers here at #glendaleadventisthospital,” she wrote via Instagram in March alongside a selfie taken in a hospital bed. “As if they all hadn’t been through enough with the fires right next door! Yes, I have a little bit of the C word y’all. I know a lot of us do.”
She continued, “I’m here to thank the incredible oncology team here, who pulled me through a complicated operation without a hitch. I am always so grateful for every second of the compassionate and excellent medical care I receive in my life.”
Lauren thanked “all the remarkable health care workers” who helped her during her time in the hospital.
When your favorite stars come together and have a baby, you want to know everything about that little one’s life as they grow up — including if they’ve ever gotten plastic surgery.
Take Hadid, for example, who is the daughter of Yolanda Hadid and Mohamed Hadid. At just 14 years old, she got a nose job, which she later ended up regretting. In March 2022, she opened up to Vogue about her nose, sharing that she thinks she “would have grown into it.”
“I wish I had kept the nose of my ancestors,” Bella told the publication, noting that she hadn’t used filler either.
Kylie, whose famous parents are Kris Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner, admitted she got a breast augmentation when she was only 19 during a July 2023 episode of The Kardashians.
“I got my breasts done within six months of having Stormi, not thinking I would have a child when I was 20,” she admitted. Kylie then shared that she wished she “never got them done to begin with.”
Keep scrolling to see these nepo babies and more who have been open about getting plastic surgery.
Bella opened up about getting a nose job as a teenager while chatting with Vogue in March 2022. “I wish I had kept the nose of my ancestors,” she said. “I think I would have grown into it.”
She also addressed other plastic surgery rumors, sharing, “People think I fully f—ed with my face because of one picture of me as a teenager looking puffy. I’m pretty sure you don’t look the same now as you did at 13, right?” The supermodel continued, noting that she hasn’t used filler. “I have no issue with it, but it’s not for me.”
“Whoever thinks I’ve gotten my eyes lifted or whatever it’s called — it’s face tape! The oldest trick in the book,” Hadid added.
Tallulah showed off her “real bone structure” in March 2024 after using fillers for six years. “I was scared to mention but I recently got my filler dissolved - after being very emotionally and psychologically wrapped up in what I thought it gave me,” she captioned an Instagram post.
She added: “I hadn’t seen my real bone structure in like 6 years. Still learning to dial back the futzing and the pokes and sit with myself as I am, which is hard when your brain tells you that ‘Yes! More is better!’”
Kylie revealed she got breast implants at just 19 years-old during a July 2023 episode of The Kardashians.
“I got my breasts done before Stormi — within six months of having Stormi — not thinking I would have a child when I was 20,” she confessed. The beauty mogul also admitted that she had “beautiful breasts” that were already the “perfect size” and shared that she wished she “never got them done to begin with.”
The Bachelor Nation star and socialite, who is the daughter of designer Cynthia Rowley, shared that she was getting a breast augmentation via TikTok in March 2025. “It’s something that I’ve wanted for so long,” she said. “I’m going for a large B cup [or] a small C cup. I’ve never had anything above an AAA [cup].”
Adding, “I’m so excited because I’ve wanted this for so long.”
Kardashian confirmed rumors that she’d had a nose job in June 2021 during a Keeping Up With the Kardashians reunion.
“For me, everyone says, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s had her third face transplant,'” she told host Andy Cohen. “But I’ve had one nose job — Dr. Raj Kinodia — and everyone gets so upset, like, ‘Why don’t I talk about it?' [Because] no one’s ever asked me.” She then told Cohen he was the first interviewer to ask her that question, and added that she’s also “done injections,” but stays away from Botox after a bad reaction.
Gwyneth, who is the daughter of famous parents actress Blythe Danner and director Bruce Paltrow, revealed via Instagram if she’s ever tried Botox in October 2023. “God yes,” she wrote. “Both successfully and unsuccessfully, I’m afraid.”
Barrymore has been open about getting a breast reduction at 17 years old. She most recently chatted about it while bringing awareness to breast cancer during an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show.
Kourtney was candid about getting breast implants when she was 22 years old. In 2011, she told Showbiz Spy, “I had my boobs done, but if I could go back, I wouldn’t have done it. I was so cute before.” She added, “I’ve realized that I was made to look a certain way and I’m considering removing them.”
Kim shared with Allure that she has “a little bit of Botox” between her eyebrows. “But I’ve chilled, actually,” she added, noting she hasn’t tried filler in her lips or cheeks.
Toni Braxton and Birdman’s romance continues to be full of twists and turns.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the couple secretly got married on August 8, 2024.
Two weeks later, however, Braxton, 57, reportedly filed for divorce and listed the date of separation as August 10, 2024 — just two days after the wedding. The “Un-Break My Heart” singer and her attorney called the marriage “irretrievably broken” in court documents per TMZ.
In January, however, Braxton and Birdman, 56, both dismissed the divorce petition, seemingly confirming their marriage is still intact.
Us Weekly has reached out to Braxton and Birdman’s teams for comment.
Braxton and Birdman (born Bryan Christopher Williams) first started dating in 2016 before getting engaged two years later.
The relationship status was confirmed in a promo for Braxton’s reality show, Braxton Family Values.
“I have an announcement to make,” she told her extended family in the clip. “I’m engaged!” The video also gave fans a glimpse of the reality star’s engagement ring.
Erika Goldring/WireImage
In January 2019, however, fans questioned whether the pair were still together after they unfollowed each other on social media. Rumors didn’t stop when Birdman posted — then deleted — a cryptic Instagram post that read, “It’s Over.”
Two months later, Birdman appeared on The Wendy Williams Show and confirmed he was still with Braxton. When asked whether there was a fight, he replied, “It was fake. I don’t know how this s*** took place but for real, I would never be a man to bring none of my business to social media.”
When asked why Braxton wasn’t wearing her engagement ring, Birdman said she briefly lost her ring at the airport while traveling.
“She’s so genuine. She keeps it 100 with me,” he explained to host Wendy Williams. “It was in her luggage or something, at the airport, and the bag was left and the ring went missing. … It is what it is. We will buy another one, ain’t no big deal.”
While Birdman prefers to keep his relationship private, Braxton previously gushed about her special partner on her family’s reality show.
In a 2017 episode of Braxton Family Values, Braxton provided a glimpse into how Birdman keeps her happy on and off camera.
“Luckily for me, he likes to do things to show that he cares about me, like sending flowers. I’m a flowers girl, what can I say?” she said during the show. “He’s an undercover gentleman and he makes me feel adored.”
Despite helping to launch one of the most popular film franchises in recent years, Ashley Greene didn’t make major bucks for her role in the first Twilight movie.
“At the time, I thought it was a lot. But no, I think we had Schedule F,” Greene, 38, told host Michael Rosenbaum on the Tuesday, April 8, episode of the “Inside of You” podcast, noting that her salary was around $65,000.
Schedule F is a type of contract signed by actors guaranteeing them a minimum set salary for their involvement in a project, regardless of the number of days they worked. While Greene didn’t go into deeper detail about her salary, the pay she received for her role as Alice Cullen in the 2008 movie is far less than the approximately $2 million Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson reportedly made for their leading roles as Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, respectively.
On the podcast, Greene did confirm that her salary increased as the franchise went on, though some supporting characters still made more than her on the initial Twilight film. “Peter Facinelli … because he had been established,” she shared. “But all of the people who hadn’t done much [got paid less].”
Greene portrayed Alice in all five of the Twilight films, including 2009’s New Moon, 2010’s Eclipse, 2011’s Breaking Dawn – Part 1, and 2012’s Breaking Dawn – Part 2. Launching into stardom at a young age is something Greene said helped bring her and her costars closer together.
“When you’re a part of something like that, there’s a bond there. You’re the only people in the world who know what you’re going through, and so I think that created a really special bond for all of us,” she said on the podcast. “And we would, by the second one, couldn’t really leave our apartments. And so, we would just stay in. Rob would play guitar. Jackson [Rathbone] would play or sing. Nikki [Reed] kind of sang sometimes. We would play games, we would drink, we would hang out indoors.”
The actress even said that she will only attend fan conventions with her former Twilight costars “’cause it’s a lot more fun,” adding, “I see them now quite often. But before that, it had been years because everyone was in a different part of the world and then people started having kids. And so, it does make it harder to keep in touch. Most of them I’m still in touch with.”
Summit Entertainment/MovieStillsDB
Though the Twilight films opened many doors for Greene, she also said it led her to become typecast. “When you play a vampire, they’re like, ‘Oh, she can play a vampire. Put her in this one,’” she shared. “So, we turned down a lot.”
The actress also recalled feeling the pressure of fame during the series’ peak popularity. “I do remember going, ‘Oh, this isn’t as fun as it was, because every move I made mattered all of a sudden. And any job you take, like, ‘This could be a misstep and this has to be right. And you can’t be seen with this person, and you should be at this event,’” she explained. “And so, I do remember going like, ‘This is a lot.’ I used to have a lot more fun auditioning. And now, everything was big. What I was going out for, everything would be such an epic opportunity to be a part of.”
She added, “It took a while, but [I] figure[d] out how to actually have fun again with what I was doing.”
Back in September 2023, Greene exclusively told Us Weekly that she thought she was going to “die” after she started suffering panic attacks during a Twilight press tour. “The first time I had a panic attack, it was right before I was going to do my first cover photo shoot. It was right when the press tour was happening with Twilight and I was terrified,” she revealed.
Greene went on to credit her husband, Paul Khoury, with being a “really huge part of my mental health journey.” She told Us, “It’s gotten to a point [where] as soon as I start feeling … these things bubble up, before I get to that point, I’m like, ‘Hey, listen, I’m feeling very overwhelmed about this. These are the 90 things I have going on.’”
Weezer have earned a reputation as one of rock music’s most divisive bands.
While singer Rivers Cuomo and various incarnations of the Los Angeles–based group have unquestionably been successful (with 35 million records sold worldwide), the quality of their music and their public image have been intensely debated throughout their 30-year career.
The “Hash Pipe” band’s legacy is filled with lineup changes, extended hiatuses and feuds with other iconic bands, all while cementing their place in rock history with 1996’s influential album Pinkerton and a late-career Grammy win in 2009 after largely being snubbed throughout their career.
Weezer band members have faced their fair share of drama away from the stage too, including bassist Scott Shriner’s wife, Jillian Lauren, being arrested in April 2025 following a shootout with Los Angeles police.
Keep scrolling for a look back at the ups and downs of Weezer’s career:
Early Lineup Changes
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Cuomo founded Weezer in Los Angeles in 1992 along with bassist Matt Sharp, rhythm guitarist Jason Cropper and drummer Patrick Wilson.
This incarnation of the group only lasted for a year, as Cropper left during the recording of the group’s 1994 self-titled debut album (a.k.a. The Blue Album). Brian Bell replaced Cropper and remains with Weezer to this day.
Cropper told Addicted to Noise in 1997 that he exerted a strong creative influence in Weezer’s early days, which led to a clash with Cuomo.
“I was in Weezer from the beginning, and even before that, in the pre-Weezer bands. A lot of what is on that first Weezer album was me,” Cropper claimed. “I can hear on the second one how it went from being a collaborative effort to being a [Rivers-led] thing. The parts of Weezer that were acoustic guitar–based on the first one are me, that was my influence and, for a while, we were all on the same page. We all liked Morrissey, The Beatles and The Beach Boys, but where Rivers’ roots come more from the Kiss direction, mine are more from The Who. He’s more into Brian Wilson and I’m more into Pete Townshend.”
The Blue Album was eventually certified platinum five times by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Matt Sharp’s Exit
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Cropper’s departure from Weezer was largely amicable, but the same can’t be said for bassist Sharp’s acrimonious split from the band in 1998.
Sharp was ousted from the group in 1998 following creative clashes with other members and later filed a lawsuit against Weezer in 2002. The musician claimed he was owed royalties from cowriting the hit track “Undone – The Sweater Song” as well contributing to nine songs on their 1996 album, Pinkerton. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court.
He confirmed to Alternative Press that he was “fired” by the other members of Weezer, yet he has been reluctant to discuss what exactly led to his departure.
“I don’t really know how to speak on this because I don’t know what should be kept private and what should be shared,” Sharp said in 2016. “I certainly have my view of it, as I’m sure everybody else has their sort of foggy things. When you have a group that doesn’t communicate, you’re going to have a whole lot of different stories.”
Sharp was replaced by bassist Mikey Welsh in 1998.
‘Pinkerton’ Controversies
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Weezer’s second album was met with withering reviews initially, with some critics complaining that Pinkerton was “sloppy” and “juvenile.”Pinkerton found the group grappling with themes of alienation and disillusionment with their early success, which may not have been entirely relatable to listeners at the time.
Cuomo was notoriously critical of Pinkerton, calling it a “hideous record” that he regretted releasing.
“It was such a hugely painful mistake that happened in front of hundreds of thousands of people and continues to happen on a grander and grander scale and just won’t go away,” he said in 2001. “It’s like getting really drunk at a party and spilling your guts in front of everyone and feeling incredibly great and cathartic about it, and then waking up the next morning and realizing what a complete fool you made of yourself.”
However, Pinkerton found a new generation of supporters in the 2000s, as many Weezer fans now regard it as the band’s masterpiece. The record was certified platinum in 2016 and ranked No. 48 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Albums of the ’90s list in 2019.
Pinkerton draws its title from a character in the opera Madame Butterfly, who Cuomo described as an “a**hole American sailor similar to a touring rock star.”
Some contemporary criticism centers around how Cuomo wrote about his attraction to Asian women on the album. The singer acknowledged to MTV that he did draw inspiration from several “disastrous encounters with half-Japanese girls” and thus wasn’t proud of some of Pinkerton’s lyrics.
“It developed into disastrous encounters with Asian girls of all sorts. Yeah, I suppose it’s fair to say that I’m fascinated by Asian girls,” he said in 1996. “For some reason, they’re particularly beautiful to me. I don’t know why. And when I became aware of that and also the fact that it was the masculine part of myself that I was learning about in these songs, I remembered the story of Madame Butterfly and the story of the character Pinkerton in that opera.”
Cuomo admitted, “Pinkerton is the ultimate character representing male id who goes to Japan as an American sailor and hooks up with this 15-year-old Japanese girl and gets her pregnant and then abandons her. He’s thoroughly despicable. But I can’t deny that there’s some of that in me.”
Extended Hiatus
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Pinkerton’s initial commercial and critical failure took its toll on Weezer, leading to them going on an extended break between 1997 and 2001. Cuomo enrolled in classes at Harvard University in 1997 as a way to detox from the music industry.
Cuomo told Guitar World that taking breaks from Weezer — he’d first attended Harvard for a stretch after The Blue Album’s release in 1994 — were a necessity following the intense scrutiny around their early exploits.
“I knew it was what I had to do, creatively,” he said. “I had to take time off and do nothing except be by myself and think and read and write songs. And I can’t do any of that when I’m on the road because I’m having fun — there’s nothing to write songs about. But as soon as I get off the road and I’m in school, I’m lonely and miserable. Then I start writing.”
Cuomo insisted that both his bandmates and their record label were largely supportive of his decision to temporarily walk away from Weezer.
“When you think about it, the normal thing to do when you’re done touring behind an album is to take time off and write songs for the next one. That’s all I did,” he said. “If I hadn’t gone to school — if I had stayed in Los Angeles and hung out at the Viper Room and partied — I surely wouldn’t have written the songs on Pinkerton, and the songs I would have written probably would have sucked. I wouldn’t have found the inspiration.”
Weezer reformed in 2001 with Cuomo, drummer Wilson, guitarist Bell and new bassist Shriner.
‘Africa’ Cover
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Weezer had a viral hit with its 2018 cover of the Toto classic “Africa,” as the remake surprisingly became their first No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart since 2008’s “Pork and Beans.” The cover came about after a lengthy social media campaign where fans encouraged Weezer to record their own version of the 1982 hit.
Toto initially responded with good humor by covering Weezer’s 2001 hit “Hash Pipe,” but their guitarist Steve Lukather told New and Improved in 2025 that he wasn’t entirely flattered.
“I don’t know about [Cuomo] loving the song, man,” Lukather said. “I don’t think that’s the case at all. I think he did it to take the piss out of it and it blew up in his face and now he’s got to play it every night.”
The musician went on, “I tried to reach out to this guy and be friendly and then it just got weird. I don’t want to get into it, but peace and love. It was good for them, it was good for us.”
Broadway Show Failure
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Weezer couldn’t quite parlay the viral success of “Africa” into ambitious plans for a Broadway residency a few years later.
The musicians were set to headline a week-long SZNZ: In Residence on Broadway event at New York City’s Main Stem in September 2022, but the entire concert series was canceled due to low ticket sales one month before opening night.
“I just learned that our Broadway shows have been cancelled (due to low ticket sales and unbelievably high expenses),” Cuomo wrote on Weezer’s Discord server in August 2022. “I’m very sorry to be telling you this now after we’ve already invested so much time, thought, and emotion. Extra apologies to those of you who cleared schedules and made travel plans to be with us. Thanks to @Broadway Producer for all your hard work and great ideas. I loved where we were going and I hope we can find a way to resurrect our vision.”
Weezer ultimately scrapped any plans for a revamped stint on Broadway.
Jillian Lauren Arrest
Scott Shriner, Jillian Lauren.Ron Adar/FilmMagic
In April 2025, Shriner’s wife, Lauren, was involved in a shootout with Los Angeles police after being confronted by LAPD officers outside of her home.
An LAPD statement confirmed, “The officers ordered [Lauren] to drop the handgun numerous times. However, she refused. [Lauren] then pointed the handgun at the officers and an Officer-Involved Shooting occurred.”
Lauren, a true crime author, was “struck by gunfire and fled into her residence,” according to the LAPD. She was eventually arrested when investigators determined she had suffered a “non-life-threatening gunshot wound.”
She was released from custody on $1 million bond after being booked for attempted murder on April 9 and ordered to attend a court hearing on April 30.
Five weeks before her arrest, Lauren confirmed via Instagram that she was undergoing cancer treatment at the Adventist Health Glendale hospital.
“I’m here to thank the incredible oncology team here, who pulled me through a complicated operation without a hitch,” she wrote. “I am always so grateful for every second of the compassionate and excellent medical care I receive in my life.”
Nearly seven years after Roseanne Barr’s character was killed off on The Conners, Us Weekly got an exclusive look at the actress’ private life in Texas. Barr’s son Jake Pentland revealed that she is living with him and his wife, calling Barr “the best grandma” to their two daughters. Barr has enjoyed her quality time with her grandchildren on the family’s 30 acres of “lush” property. “Roseanne also drives the tractor often, which allows her to mow the lawn. She drives around,” Pentland told Us. “She occasionally runs into trees, but just keeps the yard up.” The mother-son duo are also collaborating on “a weekly podcast,” but Pentland hinted that fans might catch another glimpse of Barr on the small screen, teasing, “You never know.” Keep reading below for more hot stories:
Weezer bassist Scott Shriner’s wife, Jillian Lauren, was arrested following a police shooting in Los Angeles. Us broke down everything to know about the incident so far.
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Weezer bassist Scott Shriner and his wife, true crime authorJillian Lauren, have had their fair share of ups and downs while living in Los Angeles with their two kids.
Prior to their marriage, Lauren, worked as a call girl for Prince Jefri Bolkiah of the Brunei royal family, writing about her experience in her 2010 memoir “Some Girls: My Life in a Harem.” Shriner, meanwhile, joined Weezer in 2001 after spending time in the marines and touring with Vanilla Ice’s backing band.
The pair tied the knot in 2005. Two decades later in March 2025, Lauren revealed she had been diagnosed with an undisclosed for of cancer. One month later, she was arrested on an attempted murder charge after allegedly firing a handgun at a Los Angeles Police Department officer. She was released on $1million bond.
“On April 8, 2025, around 3:25 p.m., the California Highway Patrol requested a backup locating three misdemeanor hit-and-run suspects, who fled into a residential neighborhood,” a Wednesday, April 9, press release reads. “As the officers were in the rear yard of that residence, they observed a female, later identified as 51-year-old Jillian Shriner, in the yard of a neighboring residence armed with a handgun.”
Neither Shriner nor Lauren addressed the arrest at the time.
Keep scrolling for the couple’s complete relationship timeline, spanning two decades and counting.
2005
Courtesy of Jillian Lauren/Instagram
Shriner and Lauren married in Hawaii in 2005.
2009
Courtesy of Jillian Lauren/Instagram
The couple adopted son Tariku Moon from Ethiopia. Lauren later opened up about her fertility struggles in a 2015 post for her Motherhood Later blog, explaining how it led her and Shriner to adoption.
“On paper, I might not be considered the best candidate for motherhood,” she wrote. “My husband Scott and I had a long and circuitous road to parenting, including the whole painful infertility thing. We eventually found the right path for us and adopted our son [Tariku] from Ethiopia.”
Shriner and Lauren adopted Jovanni “Jovi” Starshine, growing their family to four.
“I’ve been holding on to dozens of pictures these last 8 months and now that it’s all final Jovi can go ahead and break the Internet. ” Shriner wrote via Instagram at the time.
“We believed in you from the minute we looked into the depths your sparkling, huge eyes,” Lauren wrote to Jovi on his “gotcha” day. “My heart still kvells every time I see them peeking up from behind the couch, where you like to hide and wait for us to find you. There is nothing in this world as wildly sweet as watching those eyes open when you wake.”
Lauren revealed in March 2025 that she has been battling cancer, posting a photo of herself via Instagram lying in a hospital bed while smiling and giving a thumbs-up sign. She did not disclose what kind of cancer she was fighting.
“Yes, I have a little bit of the C word y’all. I know a lot of us do,” she wrote. “I’m here to thank the incredible oncology team here, who pulled me through a complicated operation without a hitch. I am always so grateful for every second of the compassionate, and excellent medical care I receive in my life. Thank you to all the remarkable health care workers, who take our lives in your hands. And let’s all breathe.”
April 2025
Courtesy of Scott G Shriner/Instagram
Police arrived at Shriner and Lauren’s home in response to a misdemeanor hit and run on April 8. Upon arrival, they found Lauren armed with a handgun in a neighbor’s yard. She allegedly refused to drop her weapon when LAPD officers ordered her to, and received a “non-life-threatening gunshot wound” at a local hospital, according to an LAPD statement. She was charged with felony attempted murder before being released on a $1 million bond. She is scheduled to appear in court on April 30, 2025.
The couple did not address the incident at the time and Us Weekly has reached out for comment.
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Demi Moore's family is all about the moore, the merrier.
That's why her and ex Bruce Willis' 33-year-old daughter Scout Willis has no ill will toward Ashton Kutcher, who was married to Demi from...
Born into our world on 04/02/25,” Levi, 44, and Keating, 28, captioned a joint Instagram post on Wednesday, April 9. “Thank you for everyone’s continued love and prayers over the three of us. We can’t wait for you to meet our little man!”
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” Shriner wrote via Instagram at the time.
