Breaking her silence for the first time since a violent confrontation with the LAPD earlier this spring, acclaimed author Jillian Lauren-Shriner has categorized the incident—which left her shot and facing serious charges—as a desperate act of “self-defense.”
The writer, best known for her memoir Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, spoke extensively with Rolling Stone regarding the April shootout. The encounter began when police, pursuing hit-and-run suspects, entered Lauren’s Los Angeles neighborhood and engaged in a sudden standoff in her backyard. While authorities allege that Lauren opened fire on officers after being commanded to drop her weapon, she maintains her actions were rooted in a protective instinct.
Legal Developments and Mental Health
Though initially booked on suspicion of attempted murder, Lauren-Shriner eventually pleaded not guilty to reduced charges, including discharging a firearm with gross negligence and assault with a semiautomatic weapon. Currently, she is enrolled in a court-mandated two-year mental health diversion program. If she successfully completes the requirements, including counseling and testing, the charges against her are expected to be fully dismissed.
“I was acting on the only impulse I had to safeguard my family,” she told the publication, describing the moment as a frantic effort to protect her home. While legal constraints prevent her from detailing every second of the exchange, she was vocal about the psychological toll the aftermath has taken.
A Life in Transition
The shooting served as a catalyst for a massive shift in Lauren-Shriner’s personal life. Earlier this month, she filed for divorce from her husband of two decades, Weezer bassist Scott Shriner. Citing “irreconcilable differences,” she noted that while the couple had been drifting apart for some time, the trauma of the police encounter pushed their relationship to a definitive breaking point.
“My entire world shattered in an instant,” she remarked, comparing her current state to a deck of cards scattered in the wind. Despite the legal and personal upheaval, she remains close with Shriner, describing him as her “best friend” and a devoted co-parent to their two children.
Writing Through the Trauma
Lauren-Shriner is no stranger to documenting her life’s most difficult chapters, including her 2015 memoir Everything You Ever Wanted. While her initial time in a jail cell led her to believe she could never revisit the experience through her work, her perspective has since shifted.
Reflecting on the “mental health diversion” labels in recent news cycles, she embraced the opportunity to be transparent about her struggles with PTSD, stemming from past experiences with domestic violence and sex trafficking. “I’m in a position where I can speak to this,” she said, noting that she wants to reduce the stigma surrounding such discussions.
Ultimately, the author believes this ordeal will eventually find its way to the page. “Books are what I do,” she concluded, signaling that her journey toward healing may eventually become her next literary project.
