TikTok called it the wedding of the century. Bride Madelaine Brockway and groom Jacob LaGrone were not household names when they were married in late November. Soon, footage from their Paris wedding, shared on Brockway and her vendors’ social media accounts, began to go viral, simply for their ornate splendor.
Brockway, 26, appeared to be following the path to It Girl status that Sofia Richie laid out earlier this year, with a TikTok debut timed to a lavish France wedding.
But weeks after her Nov. 18 wedding, the narrative changed, as charges emerged against 29-year-old LaGrone.
Brockway deleted her TikTok account, which had been exploding in popularity as she shared updates — the social media management platform Dash Hudson tracked a 150% growth in less than 24 hours for Brockway’s wedding — and made her Instagram private.
An attorney for LaGrone, Rhett Parham, did not respond to a request for comment. Brockway could not be reached for comment.
Here’s what to know about why the groom in this famous wedding is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Why did the wedding go viral?
The opulent photos speak for themselves. Celebrations started with a four-day bachelorette party in Utah's Amangiri resort, with four different “fully immersive” themes, a TikTok user described, including one centered around Marie Antoinette and another around aliens.
The wedding itself took place over a week and across various locations in Paris, with a rehearsal dinner at Opera Garnier in Paris, a stop at Chanel, an overnight stay at the Palace of Versailles and a ceremony at the Chateau de Villette outside of Paris.
Wedding coordinator Lake Como Weddings described details from the wedding, including Brockway’s custom Dior gown and a performance from Maroon 5. It was, according to Lake Como Weddings, “a celebration of unparalleled elegance and meticulous attention to detail,” one that wedding planners on TikTok estimated had cost millions. Photos and details were also shared from vendors and planners, like Olivia Burrows Sutherland, the wedding’s content creator.
Their public registry includes a tureen priced at more than $2,000, a $735 tiger figurine, a $12,500 butterfly house and a $1,500 biscuit box.
Who are Madelaine Brockway and Jacob LaGrone?
Before LaGrone’s criminal past emerged, this was the question many TikTokers wondered.
LaGrone’s LinkedIn page lists his most recent employment as a production assistant for the country singer Jason Aldean; he was also a talent coordinator for the Country Music Association. Brockway’s parents, Paula and Robert Brockway, own car dealerships.
LaGrone’s alleged criminal past comes to light
LaGrone was arrested on March 13, 2023, in Wentworth, Texas, on charges of aggravated public assault. Documents obtained by TODAY.com reveal LaGrone was accused of wielding a firearm against three police officers who had responded to “multiple disturbance calls.”
LaGrone was charged with a felony of the first degree. He faces a maximum sentence of up to life in prison and was offered a plea deal of 25 years, according to court documents.
Some users on TikTok have questioned why Brockway and LaGrone would make their wedding so public while the groom was in the midst of an ongoing investigation.
“There’s always strategy at play,” TikTok user @thefinancebrides said in a video. “But for whatever reason, I feel like they just totally missed the ball on this one.”
