Tragic Details About Lauren Boebert's Life

There's no denying that Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is a polarizing figure. Ever since she first landed a spot in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021, Boebert has been making waves with her opinions on gun rights and staunch support of Donald Trump. Living life in the spotlight is never easy, especially when you're a politician with such bold views, and Boebert knows it better than anyone. The Florida native has had to fight many battles — both in her career and her private life.  

From navigating teen pregnancy to troubles with the law, Boebert knows what it is like to go through the wringer. Her early years were far from traditional, making her somewhat of an enigma in her field. Perhaps partly for this reason, Boebert has never exactly been fully embraced by some of her Republican peers. 

Over the years, she has been criticized for her outfits, her divorce, and her views on the Capitol Hill riots. Below are some of the most tragic details about Boebert, a politician who is no stranger to ruffling feathers, both in and outside Washington, D.C. 

Lauren Boebert was raised in an impoverished household by her single mother, but what about her father? This remains somewhat of a mystery. Boebert has shied away from mentioning him, even when directly asked. His name is not on her birth certificate and, by all accounts, he wasn't an active presence in Boebert's life growing up. Boebert's mother, Shawn Roberts Bentz, claimed that Boebert's father was a wrestler named Stan Lane, with whom she'd had a brief affair.

Back in the 1980s when the claims were first raised, Lane was ordered to take a paternity test, which proved he wasn't Boebert's father. Then, in another shocking twist, the saga continued as the lab technician was found to have taken bribes to switch DNA samples in a separate case, leaving many to wonder if they had been persuaded to do the same on behalf of Lane. Finally, many years later in 2023, Lane took another paternity test and was found to be unrelated to Lauren Boebert — much to his delight. 

"This situation and the numerous false claims made against me over the years has been stressful for me and my family," he told the The Daily Beast. "I feel my otherwise good reputation has been tarnished considerably. I and other close members of my inner circle have been dragged into this as well."

Politicians, especially Republicans, have a tendency to laud wholesome values. Perhaps surprisingly, Lauren Boebert's past doesn't exactly fit the standard bill. While working at a McDonald's, she met her boyfriend and future husband, Jayson Boebert. When she was 18 years old, she learned she was pregnant. However, Boebert's story is a little more complex because  Boebert was just 16 years old at the time she met her partner, who was 22. They got married in a Las Vegas ceremony just a handful of months after they met. The whirlwind didn't end there and by the following year, they began actively trying for a family, even though Boebert was still in high school. 

Commenting on the lightning speed of their relationship in her 2022 memoir, "My American Life," Boebert wrote, "A lot of people would say we moved way too fast, but we didn't think that at all. Make no mistake: this was no shotgun wedding. Jayson and I intentionally wanted to get married and start our new life together." Boebert ultimately dropped out of school during her senior year to focus on raising her family. Seventeen years later in 2020, she got her GED. 

"I was a brand-new mom, and I had to make hard decisions on successfully raising my child, or getting to high school biology class. And I chose to take care of my child," Boebert explained during a 2020 visit to Durango, Colorado, as reported in The Durango Herald. 

Lauren Boebert's now ex-husband Jayson has an extensive arrest record. As you may expect, it didn't lay undiscovered for long once Boebert became involved in politics. Back in 2004, Jayson was arrested after he exposed himself at a bowling alley, resulting in the police being called. By this point, he was already involved with Boebert, who was also with him at the time of the incident. The offense was serious enough that it landed him in jail for four days followed by two years of probation. Amazingly, it wasn't Jayson's only offense that year, as he was arrested the following month on domestic violence charges. 

It seems that Boebert wasn't entirely innocent in the early days of their relationship either, as she was arrested two months later for assaulting Jayson when they got into an argument at his home. Then still a minor, Boebert was allegedly drunk at the time and physically assaulted her beau by scratching his chest and face and wrecking his home. This information paints a picture of young love that isn't rose-tinted in the slightest. 

Considering her tumultuous teen years, maybe it is not surprising that Lauren Boebert has an arrest record that rivals that of her husband's. In the early days of her relationship with her now ex-love, Boebert was arrested for domestic violence, but her more prolific offenses came years later. While attending a country music festival in Colorado in 2015, Boebert tried to be the cool grown-up by encouraging a group of minors to run away from the authorities after they were caught drinking. When she was challenged by police for her behavior, she became enraged. "Lauren continued yelling and causing the underage drinkers to become unruly," a police officer revealed in a statement published by Colorado Newsline. "Lauren said multiple times that she had friends at Fox News and that the illegal arrest would be national news." 

Boebert didn't show up to court twice, but luckily for her, the charges were ultimately dismissed. The following year, she was summoned to court again — this time for careless driving. Once again, Boebert didn't show up to court; however, she didn't get off so lightly. She was arrested and charged $123 in fines. Boebert's other offenses include having a dog at large. As you might expect, some of her peers weren't pleased with her record when she was elected.

Not long after she was elected to the House of Representatives, Boebert faced calls to resign after her social media activity during the Capitol Hill riots landed her in hot water. Boebert was at Capitol Hill during the events that unfolded after Donald Trump lost the vote on January 6, 2021. Instead of making sure she was staying safe with others, Boebert actively tweeted throughout, telling the internet where politicians had been moved and even letting people know that the speaker, Nancy Pelosi, had been taken to a different location. Some took this as Boebert trying to help rioters who wanted to come for Pelosi. 

Needless to say, this didn't go down well and many people were calling for her to resign in the wake of her potentially dangerous actions. One group in particular, Rural Colorado United, released a statement that read: "Lauren Boebert has betrayed the American people and is a conspirator in the insurrection that occurred at Capitol Hill on January 6th. ... We can only hope that her colleagues in Congress dispel her" (via Independent).

2021 wasn't a great year for Lauren Boebert and social media. Months after facing pushback from tweeting during the Capitol Hill riots, Boebert was called out for her feud with Democrat Representative Ilhan Omar. The pair notoriously butted heads for some time, with Boebert tweeting things like, "[Ilhan Omar] should decide whether she wants to be a Congresswoman or a full-time propagandist for Hamas. Why are her fellow Democrats so silent about her disgraceful comments?" 

Many social media users didn't react well to Boebert's tweet, with one writing, "Why does Lauren Boebert still have a seat in Congress when she was aiding insurrection by traitors to the United States of America?" Another commented, "[Omar's] comments aren't disgraceful at all. But yours are." The situation only escalated later that year when a video made its way online that showed Boebert referring to Omar as part of the "Jihad squad" (via Politico). Boebert's racist anti-muslim remarks continued to stoke the feud between the two lawmakers and certainly did nothing for Boebert's reputation. 

Prior to becoming one of the most talked-about politicians in America, Lauren Boebert made her way by owning a restaurant in Rifle, Colorado. Opened in 2013, Shooters Grill was an infamously pro-gun establishment, with servers carrying guns in holsters on their hips and plenty of pro-gun memorabilia decorating the walls for patrons to stare at while they were eating. Though it proved to be a successful venture for the Boeberts, the eatery closed down in 2022, with Jayson and Lauren Boebert announcing the news on X. 

The lengthy statement revealed that the business closed due to the landlord choosing not to renew the lease. Jayson and Lauren stressed it was purely a business decision and had nothing to do with the congresswoman's politics. "There is a time and a season for everything," wrote the Boeberts, "And God has called us to focus our time and energy elsewhere." 

A handful of the restaurant's former employees, however, had less than glowing things to stay about Lauren, in particular. "The second the restaurant blew up, her head blew up, and it became something entirely different," a former server alleged to MotherJones. "And I got to meet a new version of her that is a monster." Five employees also claimed that they often were not paid on time, and some alleged that they were typically paid in cash without the appropriate taxes being withheld.

Jayson and Lauren Boebert's messy divorce reared its head in May 2023, and it came as a surprise to many. The Boeberts seemed like a dedicated couple, having been together since Boebert was just 16 years old. However, as we well know, not all that glitters is gold. The congresswoman was the one to file for divorce. She revealed in a statement published by the Colorado Sun, "It is with a heavy weight on my heart that I have filed for divorce from my husband. I am grateful for our years of marriage together and for our beautiful children, all of whom deserve privacy and love as we work through this process."

The finalization came in October 2023, but it wasn't without its stresses. Jayson Boebert reportedly looked agitated during the hearing and opted not to have a lawyer present, while Boebert held her crying grandson during the proceedings as the pair tried to hammer out their differences. 

Whether making a passionate speech to push forward her views on controversial subjects or attending a party, Lauren Boebert nearly always makes a splash. In April 2024, Boebert went to the New York Young Republican Club's Christmas Gala and was swiftly told off by staff after her behavior became a little wild 'n out. Boebert allegedly drank so much that she was cut off by servers, who told her she had too much. That wasn't her biggest offense on the night, either. Not only was she apparently more than a bit tipsy, but Donald Trump's security detail had to ask her to stop bothering the former president for selfies, as CNN reported.

Though her reputation for being a wildcard proceeds her, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida had this to say to CNN: "It hasn't encumbered her job performance. Look, some of that stuff that popped up wasn't the best stuff to see. Even she acknowledges that. But none of us are perfect. Just because we're elected officials doesn't mean we're any more perfect than anybody else. Stuff happens. But I think she has been able to do her job, and that's all that matters at the end of the day." 

In 2024, Lauren Boebert surprised the world when she revealed her personal health struggles. The congresswoman had been under the knife to remove a blood clot and learned she has May-Thurner Syndrome, an illness that impacts the right iliac artery. Talking to One America News Network at the time, Boebert explained, "I had some blood clots that we worked out — not COVID vax, you know, it's just an artery that was crushing a vein, it's May-Thurner syndrome, so just want to clear the air there — But you know, I'm back at being active [which] is the best thing for me" (via Newsweek).

She went on to thank those across the country who had taken the time to pray for her. While May-Thurner Syndrome isn't life-limiting, there is a risk that more blood clots will form. Staying active and maintaining good health helps keep complications at bay, so it is possible that Boebert needs to keep a watchful eye on her body moving forward. 

Lauren Boebert's controversial theater date first hit headlines in September 2023, when the congresswoman was tossed out of a "Beetlejuice" performance. Boebert was caught on camera groping her date, as well as vaping and generally causing a ruckus while others tried to enjoy the musical. While it wasn't a good look for a politician, Boebert also faced the wrath of one of the entertainment industry's biggest names, Howard Stern. Stern let his opinion be known on his show, exclaiming, "Lauren Boebert is a disgrace to this country" (via Outkick). He then took aim at her outfit. "She's in a titty dress. She's with some dude. Looks like she's obviously vaping, but also looks like she might be grabbing his penis," he said.

The incident was enough for Boebert to address in public herself. She stated, as reported by The Colorado Sun, "The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I'm truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community." She went on to blame her behavior on her then-ongoing divorce. "I've tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday."

There's no denying that many of Lauren Boebert's outfits have completely missed the mark, and some of her peers have noticed. As a relatively young politician, Boebert has a slightly more stand-out sense of style that some veteran congressmen and congresswomen may not appreciate. It is not unusual to see her pictured in figure-hugging short dresses or bold colors. Boebert's critical peers sure aren't shy about their opinions. 

In 2024, Boebert's GOP opponent in Colorado let it be known that he didn't like Boebert's clothes. Rep. Richard Holtorf told radio station 710KNUS that Boebert looked like a sex worker and needed a style overhaul. "You know what I see about two blocks up from the State Capitol? I see women dressed like Boebert," he exclaimed (via Daily Mail). "High heels, short skirt, low cut blouse. And I won't tell you what they're doing but it's nothing you can talk to your grandmother about."