At a Glance
- Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis married her black cockapoo Bobby Rhubarb on Jan. 10
- The backyard wedding doubled as Lewis’s 50th birthday celebration on Jan. 8
- Guests included bandmates Ben Gibbard and Alex Greenwald, who performed “Such Great Heights”
- Why it matters: The ceremony spotlights the bond between the singer and the dog immortalized in her 2021 song “Puppy and a Truck”
Jenny Lewis marked her milestone 50th birthday by exchanging vows with her constant companion, Bobby Rhubarb. The Jan. 10 ceremony, revealed in a series of Polaroid photos posted to X, fused humor and heartfelt sentiment as the Rilo Kiley singer formalized her relationship with the black cockapoo who inspired a hit single.
The Wedding Day Details
Lewis shared four instant-film shots captioned, “I married my dog for my 50th birthday…BLESS!” The images show the musician in a white dress beside her tail-wagging groom, rainbow-striped cakes bearing the messages “JL50!” and “For BETTER or for WORSE I do!,” and guests raising glasses in the singer’s backyard.
Close friends and collaborators attended, including:
- Morgan Nagler
- Dave Scher
- Phantom Planet’s Alex Greenwald
- Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service vocalist Ben Gibbard
Gibbard joined Lewis to perform the Postal Service classic “Such Great Heights” during the reception, according to the Independent.
A Muse in Fur
Bobby Rhubarb first trotted into the spotlight via Lewis’s 2021 track “Puppy and a Truck.” The song’s chorus-“Like a shot of good luck, I got a puppy and a truck”-celebrates the comfort the dog provided during pandemic isolation. The tune was re-released on her 2023 album Joy’All.
In a 2023 Rolling Stone interview, Lewis recalled adopting the cockapoo in her 40s while living alone. “I was in a really rough spot. I’d been isolated for over a year, quarantining totally on my own, and I had to find things to get me out of the house,” she said. “The truck provided that.”
She added, “I don’t have any kids, but this dog opened me up in so many ways-being responsible for a soul and caring for something outside of yourself. It’s been a really important lesson for me.”
Fan Reactions
Social-media well-wishers responded with dog-themed puns and affection. Comments included:
- “Muzzle tov!”
- “Bad news: Dogs get the seven-year itch almost immediately. Good news: It can easily be cured with belly scratches.”
The light-hearted tone matched Lewis’s own playful announcement, reinforcing the event’s blend of satire and sincerity.
From Fantasy to Reality
Lewis admitted she once envisioned owning “a white wolf,” yet ended up with a curly-haired cockapoo. The wedding, while tongue-in-cheek, underscores how Bobby Rhubarb exceeded those expectations, becoming both creative catalyst and emotional anchor.
The Jan. 8 birthday and Jan. 10 ceremony bookend a half-century milestone celebrated not with a typical party but with a symbolic, fur-filled union that honors the role pets play in mental health and artistic inspiration.
Key Takeaways
- Jenny Lewis wed her dog Bobby Rhubarb in a backyard ceremony doubling as her 50th birthday party
- Guests included musical collaborators who performed live
- The cockapoo previously inspired Lewis’s 2021 song “Puppy and a Truck” and helped her navigate pandemic isolation
- Social-media reaction mixed humor and heartfelt support
