Former MTV VJ and rock guitarist Dweezil Zappa and his wife are splitting up after five years of marriage.
According to an article on People.com, “[Zappa’s wife] Lauren Knudsen, citing irreconcilable differences, filed for divorce two weeks ago, Los Angeles court records show.”
Knudsen is seeking sole custody of their daughters, 3-year-old Zola Frank and 1-year-old Ceylon Indira, with legal custody to be shared. In addition, Knudsen is seeking spousal support from Zappa.
Dweezil Zappa is the son of famed musician Frank Zappa and is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon Unit, younger sister, Diva, and younger brother, Ahmet. Dweezil’s registered birth name is Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa.
Dweezil’s first serious relationship was with Kate Wagner, the daughter of actor Robert Wagner. He also dated actresses such as Molly Ringwald, Sharon Stone and even dated musician Lisa Loeb for six years before breaking up in the summer of 2004. Zappa married fashion stylist Heather Knudsen on Sept. 3, 2005 in Los Angeles.
In the 1980s, Zappa worked as an MTV VJ and even branched out into movies with a part in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s futuristic 1987 film, The Running Man, and a cameo role in John Hughes's 1986 brat-pack movie, Pretty in Pink, as Molly Ringwald’s character, Andie’s, friend, Simon.
More recently, in 2006, Zappa organized the "Zappa Plays Zappa" tour. He assembled a band of young musicians with a quest to bring the music of Frank Zappa to a younger audience. The tour also featured guest appearances by Steve Vai, Napoleon Murphy Brock and Terry Bozzio. The tour began in May in Europe with dates in the United States from June. After a break, it continued in the United States on Oct. 18, 2006. The 2007 version of the tour ran from July, finishing in Australia in early December, and featured Ray White as a special guest. The shows ended with the promise: "There are so many songs we want to learn to play . . . see ya'll next year. . . .” Subsequently, tours in 2008 and 2009 have commenced.