Indie rock icon Jenny Lewis marked her landmark 50th birthday with a characteristically unconventional celebration: she held a ceremonial wedding to her beloved dog.
A Star-Studded Canine Ceremony
The singer-songwriter, famed as the frontwoman of Rilo Kiley, ‘married’ her cockapoo, Bobby Rhubarb, in a unique event shared across her social media on January 11, 2026. While not a legal union, the ceremony was a full-blown spectacle, blurring the lines between a birthday party, performance art, and a heartfelt ritual.
Lewis embraced the occasion fully, donning a traditional white wedding gown. She later described the event with her signature deadpan wit, posting: ‘I married my dog for my 50th birthday… BLESS!’
From Muse to 'Spouse': Bobby Rhubarb's Role
Bobby Rhubarb is no stranger to Lewis's creative world. The dog has previously inspired her songwriting, most notably serving as the muse for the tender 2021 track Puppy and a Truck.
The wedding doubled as an intimate musical showcase, featuring a roster of Lewis's talented friends and collaborators. She performed a rendition of Such Great Heights with longtime musical partner Ben Gibbard, referencing their work together in The Postal Service.
Further performances included a version of Phantom Planet's California with Alex Greenwald, while artists Morgan Nagler and Farmer Dave Scher were also in attendance and took part in the celebrations.
A Career of Blurring Sincerity and Irony
For fans of Jenny Lewis, this playful spectacle feels entirely in keeping with her artistic persona. Since emerging in the late 1990s with Rilo Kiley, she has built a career on melding emotional directness with sharp irony.
Her songs, often exploring desire, disappointment, and self-mythology from a young woman's perspective, earned a devoted following before the band's hiatus in 2011. Her subsequent solo work has blended Laurel Canyon pop, country melancholy, and confessional storytelling.
For an artist whose work has consistently challenged traditional narratives of romance and fulfilment, a symbolic union with her canine companion is a fitting, if headline-grabbing, chapter.
