Entertainment
LAPD chief backed cops who shot at author, Weezer bassist’s ex; commission overruled him
For the second time in recent months, the civilian commission that oversees the LAPD has overruled Chief Jim McDonnell in a police shooting, concluding that officers were in the wrong when they shot at Jillian Lauren, an author and the estranged wife of Weezer bass player Scott Shriner.
McDonnell wrote in a report made public Thursday that two officers were justified in using deadly force against Lauren, 52, who pointed a gun and fired at officers during a standoff in the backyard of her Eagle Rock home last April.
But the Police Commission took the rare step of going against McDonnell’s recommendation, finding fault with the shooting and concluding that the officers made serious tactical mistakes.
Although the five-member panel is the final authority on whether a police shooting is in or out of policy, the chief has final say on officer discipline. Such decisions are rarely made public because of state police privacy laws.
The incident began at about 5:20 p.m. on April 8, 2025, when police responded to a request for help from the California Highway Patrol in tracking down three suspects wanted in a hit-and-run crash. Officers Joshua Wolak and Dorian Zhou joined in the search, along with several others from the nearby Northeast patrol station.
Body-worn camera footage released by the department showed Wolak, Zhou and a CHP officer standing on a retaining wall next to a fence that separated a neighbor’s home from Lauren’s property. The LAPD video shows Lauren, wearing a purple Weezer T-shirt and black tights, walk around the yard with a black handgun, looking around as though she were on high alert.
Police said that officers yelled at Lauren to drop her gun for several minutes, before she shot a round in their direction. Wolak then fired seven rounds, while Zhou shot five from a distance of roughly 50 feet.
Lauren was not connected to the hit-and-run incident, authorities said. Audio from a 911 call by one of Lauren’s neighbors indicated that Lauren believed she was being fired at by armed suspects, who had been spotted running through neighboring properties.
After the shooting, Lauren retreated into her home, where she stayed for about an hour until an officer called her personal assistant, who was also inside. She was later taken to an area hospital with a gunshot wound to her left arm, police said.
During his interview with internal investigators, Zhou said he saw Lauren raise the handgun at a 45-degree angle, “rack” the slide to chamber a round and fire at officers. In response, he said, he fired five rounds, aiming at her center mass.
He responded that he stopped firing “because I lost sight of her.”
The commission voted unanimously to rule the officers’ decision to shoot out of policy. Officials typically do not publicly discuss the rationale for reaching certain decisions.
Both the commission and the chief were critical of the command decisions of Sgt. Albert Hoang at the scene, noting his failure to ensure that the officers involved were interviewed and the fact that he didn’t notify his higher-ups about the shooting until three hours after it occurred.
The civilian panel also diverged from McDonnell in assessing the tactical mistakes made by Hoang and the two officers. In his report, McDonnell found that the differing tactics used by CHP and LAPD only contributed to the confusion in what was already a fraught situation.
McDonnell wrote that he wants to develop protocols to ensure that if a similar incident were to arise “the other agency should be directed to disengage from the tactical portion of the incident or, as practicable, placed in a position and role that minimizes the co- mingling of tactics.”
In a 4-1 vote, the commission also decided that the officers’ decision to draw their weapons did not comply with LAPD policies — another rare finding.
Lauren was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer, a charge that carries a lengthy prison sentence, then later charged with assault and negligent discharge of a firearm. In December, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted her diversion due to mental health issues, sparing her potential jail time.
The bestselling author of “Everything You Ever Wanted,” she filed for divorce from her husband in December in Los Angeles County Superior Court. In her petition, she cited “irreconcilable differences” but did not list an official date of separation. The two married in November 2005 and share two teenage sons.
Before the confrontation with police, Lauren had been recovering from cancer treatment and a hysterectomy in March.
Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.
Movie Reviews
1986 Movie Reviews – About Last Night, Big Trouble in Little China, The Great Mouse Detective, Howling II, Psycho III, Under the Cherry Moon | The Nerdy
Welcome to an exciting year-long project here at The Nerdy. 1986 was an exciting year for films giving us a lot of films that would go on to be beloved favorites and cult classics. It was also the start to a major shift in cultural and societal norms, and some of those still reverberate to this day.
We’re going to pick and choose which movies we hit, but right now the list stands at nearly four dozen.
Yes, we’re insane, but 1986 was that great of a year for film.
The articles will come out – in most cases – on the same day the films hit theaters in 1986 so that it is their true 40th anniversary. All films are also watched again for the purposes of these reviews and are not being done from memory. In some cases, it truly will be the first time we’ve seen them.
This time around, it’s July 4, 1986, and we’re off to seeAbout Last Night, Big Trouble in Little China, The Great Mouse Detective, Howling II, Psycho III, and Under the Cherry Moon.
About Last Night
St. Elmo’s Fire was awful. This feels like a make-good for two of the actors.
Danny Martin (Rob Lowe) meets Debbie Sullivan (Demi Moore) and their chemistry is electric and immediate. They waste no time becoming serious, and moving in together, despite neither of them having ever had a serious relationship. They quickly discover it’s not quite as easy as just sharing an apartment like you do with a roommate.
I didn’t love the movie (mainly due to Jim Belushi’s Bernie character), but I did enjoy it far more than I anticipated.Moore and Lowe’s on-screen chemistry really clicked far more than most on-screen couples.
It’s a good character study, and keeps you engaged. Is it essential viewing? That’s up to you.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
Big Trouble in Little China
If there was ever a poster child for a movie that found a second life in rentals and on cable, this is it.
Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) is a over-the-road trucker with a lot of thoughts on life and how important reflexes are. While making a delivery in Chinatown, he gets sucked into a situation with an ancient Chinese evil trying to regain its humanity, and all Jack really wants is to get his truck back.
John Carpenter wasn’t quite a household name, but with films such as Halloween, The Thing and Escape From New York to his name, people were taking notice. Teaming with Russell for another outing seemed like it would be another win, but this one proved just a little too odd for mainstream audiences. Once it got into our homes, however, everyone fell in love with it.
As Jack Burton always says, it’s a must-see for any 80s journey.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
The Great Mouse Detective
I had never seen it, and as Disney films go, I would have been fine keeping it that way.
Set in Longon in 1897, a young mouse named Olivia Flaversham witnesses her toymaker father get kidnapped. She seeks out Basil of Baket Street, also known as the Great Mouse Detective. Along with David Q. Dawson, recently returned from serving in the military in Afghanistan, the three of them try to stop Professor Ratigan from replacing the Queen.
It’s just a Sherlock Holmes story, but with mice. I didn’t find anything that compelling about it. It was pretty enough to look at, but the story just left me fairly empty.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
Howling II
I… have a lot of thoughts.
Following up on the end of the The Howling, Ben White (Reb Brown) buries his sister Karen White, and quickly learns she was a werewolf. He teams up with werewolf hunter Stedan Crosscoe (Christopher Lee) to take down Stirba (Sybil Danning), the queen of the werewolves who is about to celebrate her 1,000th birthday, and stop the spread of the werewolf curse.
On paper it sounds fine, in execution it is just… horrible. Poorly lit, horrible acting, low-grade effects, and costuming that leaves you more confused than anything else.
Avoid at all costs.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
Psycho III
I have to admit, so far these sequels haven’t been horrible.
Following up shortly after the vents of Psycho II, Norman (Anthony Perkins) is still hiding the body of Emma Spool, and having issues again with seeing “Mother.” He hires drifter Duane Duke (Jeff Fahey) to run the motel. He also meets Maureen (Diana Scarwid), a nun on the run after she accidentally kills one of her sisters. With a new woman in his life, Mother has some thoughts on what Norman should be doing.
In general I actually enjoyed this new outing in the franchise, although it feels it missed some opportunities at the end of the story of Norman and Maureen working together. What if Maureen had actually been the one manipulating Norman this time? There was another movie lurking in the background that sadly never gets broached.
What we did end up with, however, was entertaining.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
Under the Cherry Moon
This film was unfairly maligned.
Christopher Tracy (Prince) and Tricky (Jerome Benton) as wooing women in France in hopes of getting enough money to head back to Miami one day. When Christopher hears about Mary Sharon (Kristin Scott Thomas) inherting a trust fund of $50 million for her 21st birthday, she becomes his next mark, but little does he know how it will end for him.
Following Purple Rain, Prince could do no wrong in Hollywood and was given a blank check for his next film. Audiences and critics did not warm to this film as it wasn’t Purple Rain 2 and it lived with a bad reputation for years.
I hadn’t seen it in 35 years or more when I watched it for this report, and… I really enjoyed it. It’s over-the-top, but in the right way. Prince was clearly paying homage to the silent movie romance films, and it works for what it is. Is he a great actor? No. Does it work for this film? Yes.
Honestly, this may be one of the most enjoyable films I’ve had in this project in several weeks. It’s worth a reassessment.
Where to watch: Available to stream.
1986 Movie Reviews will continue on July 11, 2026, with Club Paradise.
Entertainment
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce: Revisit the roots of their love story ahead of MSG wedding bash
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s love story will reach new heights this week with a totally low-key two-day wedding bash at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The billionaire pop titan and the NFL star, both 36, kicked off their wedding festivities Thursday afternoon with a rehearsal dinner at the famed sports arena. They have all but confirmed that they will then exchange their vows Friday in a grand MSG celebration with around 1,000 guests (including Swift’s celebrity friends and Kelce’s fellow sports stars) in attendance, at least according to numerous reports. The celebrity wedding will also reportedly feature heightened security around Madison Square Garden, performances by Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw, and a red carpet outside the arena.
Representatives for Madison Square Garden, Swift and Kelce have not responded to The Times’ requests for comment.
Swift and Kelce’s relationship began nearly three years ago during the singer’s blockbuster Eras tour with a simple request and a friendship bracelet. Read on to revisit the roots of Swift and Kelce’s whirlwind romance turned generational love story, from the Kelce brothers’ “New Heights” podcast to a romantic garden engagement.
July 2023: Travis Kelce shoots his shot
Swift and Kelce’s romance can be traced back to summer 2023, when the Kansas City Chiefs tight end attended an Eras tour concert at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs’ house. Kelce — a self-proclaimed Swiftie — told brother Jason Kelce in an episode of their “New Heights” podcast that he had a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it but didn’t get it to the singer. “I was a little … hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her,” he said at the time. Eventually, the two got in touch.
September 2023: Taylor Swift shows up for her guy
Taylor Swift watches the Chiefs take on the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 24, 2023.
(David Eulitt / Getty Images)
The then-rumored romance quickly became commentary fodder for NFL broadcasts (sometimes to sports fans’ chagrin) but took a turn when Swift seemingly accepted Kelce’s personal invitation to a home game. She was seen cheering for him in a private box alongside his mother, Donna Kelce. Soon enough, Swift became a staple in the Chiefs audience. In the following months, Swift and Kelce further solidified their relationship, making it paparazzi-official during an after-party for “Saturday Night Live” and on her Eras tour in November when the singer changed her “Karma” lyrics to reference her budding romance.
February 2024: Super Bowl LVIII (Taylor’s Version)
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift smooch after Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas in February 2024.
(John Locher / Associated Press)
Swift and Kelce’s love notably played out at Super Bowl LVIII, where the Chiefs faced the San Francisco 49ers. When the Chiefs won, the Grammy winner joined Kelce on the field, kissing and hugging him. A week before the big game, Swift announced her album, “Tortured Poets Department,” at the Grammy Awards. The album seemingly refers to Kelce in songs “The Alchemy” and “So High School.”
The pair continued going strong throughout 2024. As Swift‘s tour continued, Kelce joined his superstar girlfriend on stage in London. She also returned regularly to Arrowhead Stadium for Chiefs home games during the 2024-25 NFL season. Swift ended her Eras tour in December 2024 and hosted a private wrap party to celebrate her musical marathon. Of course, beau Kelce was in attendance.
August 2025: Baby, just say ‘yes!’
The following year was a relatively quieter one for the couple. Kelce and his Chiefs failed to beat the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX and Swift was in the midst of recovering from her tour and preparing for her newest album. But just when there seemed to be a lull in all things Taylor-Travis, the couple hit some major milestones.
First, Swift finally appeared on the Kelce brothers’ “New Heights” podcast. Remember, that’s where all of this started. The couple, of course, spoke about their whirlwind romance, but the main headline was that Swift would release her album “The Life of a Showgirl” later that fall. With songs “Redwood” and “Wish List,” it was pretty clear Kelce inspired Swift during the songwriting process.
Second, and more importantly, “Love Story” singer Swift announced on Instagram that she and Kelce were engaged. She shared photos from their dreamy garden proposal with the caption: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” Kelce popped the question with an elongated old mine cut cushion set within an engraved gold band. Speculation on the details of their nuptials, including date and location, were almost immediately underway.
Since their engagement, Kelce and Swift have appeared together at a handful of high-profile events including the iHeartRadio Music Awards in March, courtside at Rocket Arena in Cleveland during the 2026 NBA playoffs and the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in June, which honored Swift.
For now, welcome to New York, soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs.
Movie Reviews
Movie Review: ‘Minions & Monsters’ is a very yellow mash note to Hollywood – Sentinel Colorado
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This image released by Universal Pictures shows a scene from Illumination’s “Minions & Monsters.” (Universal Pictures via AP) -
This image released by Universal Pictures shows minions with the alien character Goomi, voiced by Trey Parker, right, in a scene from Illumination’s “Minions & Monsters.” (Universal Pictures via AP) -
This image released by Universal Pictures shows minion Henry, voiced by Pierre Coffin, left, and Goomi, voiced by Trey Parker, in a scene from Illumination’s “Minions & Monsters.” (Universal Pictures via AP) -
This image released by Universal Pictures shows a scene from Illumination’s “Minions & Monsters.” (Universal Pictures via AP)
Every once in a while, Hollywood gets high on its own supply and makes a love letter to moviemaking. It happened recently with Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” and George Clooney’s “Jay Kelly.” Now it’s time for the unlikeliest of love-letter writers: canary-yellow, gibberish-speaking, overall-wearing mini-monsters.
“Minions & Monsters” — the third chapter in the ongoing standalone adventures of the “Despicable Me” pint-sized enablers — is about the sheer greatness of moviemaking, and it’s a navel-gazing misfire. Few industries — maybe journalism, sure — is as enamored at making its profession seem heroic.
The Minions this time find themselves at the dawn of both the movie business in Hollywood and the last push by suffragists to get the vote. It’s a weird confluence that writers Brian Lynch and Pierre Coffin fumble.
The movie has playful references to old screen gods — Harold Lloyd dangling from the hands of a clock and Charlie Chaplin swallowed by the gears of a mechanical system — along Hollywood nods to “Casablanca” and the punny title “The Good, the Bad and the Stupid” — but the kids in the audience won’t get them and their parents are just too tired. Harold Lloyd jokes don’t hit as hard in 2026.
Two of the legion of faceless Minions step forward this time — best friends James and Henry, creative misfits amid a smear of yellow drones — to unite and make a movie. (Who knew there was a Minion counterculture?)
Things go very well at first — turns out adding a Minion or two to a cowboy or a heist movie makes them instant kings of the box office — and they soon move into a Beverly Hills mansion and become insufferable. James dreams of winning an Oscar, which in this case is a statuette of a gold banana, a Minion obsession.
But they hit a wall when silent movies turn to talkies. And since they spout nothing but nonsense — “Fantastico” “miso soup” and “vamos” — can’t make the transition. They’re dumped out of the studio system.
That’s when James and Henry finally get the plot going: Make their own killer monster movie by conjuring up real monsters. The first one they try turns out a little weird: The gigantic, fearsome octopus-dragon they request turns out to be a cute green Funko Pop-like critter called Goomi, voiced by Trey Parker. Goomi promises to find them some real monsters. But should we trust him?
Coffin, making his first solo directing effort after co-helming all three “Despicable Me” films and the first “Minions,” voices all the Minions — he must be fun to have at parties — and is an assured hand. The violence levels are a little high for PG, including a beheading and various impalings, plus the usual senseless mayhem.
The screenwriters have included a romantic subplot involving a suffragette voiced by Zoey Deutch who falls for a robot-alien (standout work by Jesse Eisenberg) in a storyline that makes less and less sense. And the framing device — a museum tour guide explaining how Minions shaped Hollywood — sags awkwardly.
Adults can keep awake looking for the Easter eggs Coffin has left for serious cinephiles: “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” “Steamboat Bill, Jr.,” “A Trip to the Moon,” “Metropolis,” “Citizen Kane” and “The Blob.” Maybe the best moment in the movie is almost a throwaway: Director George Lucas, appearing as himself.
“Hooray for Hollywood” is on the soundtrack and that might have been the subtitle for the movie itself. There are some people whose eyes get moist thinking about picking up a film camera and following their muse, having their work play in a dark theater to cheers. And then there are others who just want to get on with it already. “Vamos!”
“Minions & Monsters,” a Universal Pictures release that opens in theaters July 1, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for “violence/action, language, and rude/macabre humor.” Running time: 90 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
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