# Frances Cobain has married Tony Hawk's son Riley - but that's not the whole story **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038 "2023-10-24T21:22:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/1 "2023-10-24T21:22:10Z")
The ceremony was performed by her godfather, R.E.M. singer emeritus Michael Stipe. I had no idea he was authorized to do this. Regardless, congrats to all of them, and may they have many happy years together. > **[Kurt Cobain's Daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, Marries Tony Hawk's Son, Riley Hawk](https://www.tmz.com/2023/10/24/frances-cobain-riley-hawk-married-kurt-cobain-tony-hawk-rem-singer-michael-stipe/?adid=social-fb&fbclid=IwAR0n3YQBJxESx4CJeT_s01IfYWVdjR_SJsrWR9dV7ReILA2WFbu8vsQ82aY)** > > Frances Bean Cobain and Riley Hawk are married, and former R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe officiated their wedding. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/2 "2023-10-24T22:20:09Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I had no idea he was authorized to do this. The nice thing about a mail-order ordination, losing your religion doesn’t affect your ability to perform marriages. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/3 "2023-10-24T22:27:39Z")
Will the honeymoon be spent hitchhiking around Ireland with a fridge? Oops. Hawk, not Hawks. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/4 "2023-10-24T22:55:46Z")
Shotgun wedding? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/5 "2023-10-24T23:06:16Z")
So… what is the whole story, then? ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/6 "2023-10-25T04:28:34Z")
Did the child of some well-known performer sing at the wedding? Was the caterer Oprah’s neighbour’s nephew? This is very much a case of D List celebrity adjacency. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/7 "2023-10-25T05:08:50Z")
Oh, c’mon, I just thought that with all the terrible things going on in the world, we could use a little distraction, if only for a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/8 "2023-10-25T05:11:01Z")
This makes a Gen X kid like me oddly happy. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/9 "2023-10-25T10:01:25Z")
I think part of the “whole” story would be letting us know how Mike Stipe became her godfather (and Drew Barrymore her godmother, for that matter), but I guess I’d have to google that. But I have very little interest in doing that. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/10 "2023-10-25T11:48:35Z")
They look shiny. And happy. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/11 "2023-10-25T12:30:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So… what is the whole story, then? I’m going with the breakup of her first marriage. Frances Cobain was married to a musician named Isaiah Silva. Silva got a girlfriend named Jessica Sullivan, who ended up pregnant and living in Cobain and Silva’s house. Cobain started divorce proceedings against Silva (you can see her point). There was a major dispute over the property settlement. It was eventually agreed that Cobain got the house (which she then kicked Sullivan out of) and Silva got Kurt Cobain’s guitar. Sullivan then sued Courtney Love, who she said stalked and threatened her in an attempt to get the guitar back. She also sued Sam Lufti, who is Love’s manager and the former manager of Britney Spears. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/12 "2023-10-25T12:59:19Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > Did the child of some well-known performer sing at the wedding? Was the caterer Oprah’s neighbour’s nephew? > > This is very much a case of D List celebrity adjacency. - Tony Hawk was in Weird Al’s video [“Smells Like Nirvana”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FklUAoZ6KxY). 2:55 sunglasses, blue sleeves ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/13 "2023-10-25T15:08:15Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I had no idea he was authorized to do this I’ve solemnized eight weddings. I’m a reverend in the Universal Life Church. When someone asks me what my qualifications are, I explain that some religions require a bachelors degree in religion. Some require study under a minister. Some require indoctrination and living among others in a similar situation. The Universal Life Church required that I click “YES”. Trivia: Every marriage I officiated is still intact, although one couple in their 90s passed away a year or so after marriage. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/14 "2023-10-25T16:23:28Z")
My nephew officiated at his Italian Catholic sister’s wedding. AFAIK he hadn’t set foot in a church in decades, so he must have gotten a one-day license online. I always thought as long as there’s a marriage license, the actual ceremony doesn’t have to be performed by a ‘professional’. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/15 "2023-10-25T16:38:26Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > I think part of the “whole” story would be letting us know how Mike Stipe became her godfather Stipe and Cobain were pretty good friends. IIRC Cobain moved into the house next to Peter Buck and they met that way. Stipe indicated Nirvana into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/16 "2023-10-25T16:39:40Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Oh, c’mon, I just thought that with all the terrible things going on in the world, we could use a little distraction, if only for a minute. Taylor and Travis called. They want your attention back. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/17 "2023-10-25T17:03:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Trivia: Every marriage I officiated is still intact, although one couple in their 90s passed away a year or so after marriage. one could argue the case that 12.5% of your clients died the year after you married them … ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/18 "2023-10-25T17:11:28Z")
One could also say that 100% of marriages end. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/19 "2023-10-25T17:15:16Z")
Here is the LA county webpage for [Deputy Commissioner for a Day.](https://www.lavote.gov/home/county-clerk/marriage-licenses-ceremonies/ceremonies/deputy-commissioner-for-a-day-program) Anyone can perform the wedding ceremony as long as they have the $75 fee and attend a 1 hour zoom session. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038/20 "2023-10-25T18:43:17Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Anyone can perform the wedding ceremony as long as they have the $75 fee and attend a 1 hour zoom session. An hour? But I need to marry people right now! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-cobain-has-married-tony-hawks-son-riley-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/992038.md?page=2)