Wedding-of-the-century groom Jacob LaGrone – whose heiress Texan bride sent the internet into meltdown with astonishing images of their lavish nuptials in Paris – faced court Thursday on charges that he shot at three cops.
He cut a lonely, suited figure as he arrived without his new bride Madelaine Brockway, 26, for the case that could land him behind bars for decades.
But bizarrely he was accompanied – by a burly bodyguard to help him confront very different circumstances to those he enjoyed just 12 days ago when he wed in such well-documented extravagance in the French capital.
LaGrone, 29, faces three first degree felony counts of firing at three cops – which can mean a life sentence under Texas law if convicted. According to documents obtained by DailyMail.com, the new groom was offered a plea deal of 25 years.
Groom Jacob LaGrone was indicted in March on three counts of aggravated assault against a public servant, a first-degree felony. Wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt, light blue tie and smart black formal shoes that looked new, he peered hesitatingly for a place to sit among the other defendants in the crowded benches
LaGrone, whose lavish wedding went viral last week, was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault against a public servant eight months before his extravagant celebration in France
He appeared in court on Thursday morning without his new bride, but instead with a burly bodyguard
LaGrone slipped into court exactly at 9.30am for the raft of approximately 30 assorted cases to be heard starting at that time
He and Madelaine left the internet gasping at their intensely documented five-day celebration in Paris which included a private jet, an overnight stay at the Palace of Versailles, a rehearsal dinner at the French capital's Opera House and a private lunch at the Chanel Haute Couture Suite.
LaGrone was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault against a public servant eight months before his extravagant celebration in France
Maroon 5 performed at their reception following the ceremony at exquisite Chateau de Villette, with the couple's first dance to the pop-rock band's hit She Will Be Loved.
A posse of professional photographers snapped their every move, with Madelaine uploading her favorite jaw-dropping images to her TikTok account where the photos and videos quickly went viral with hundreds of thousands of views – and awed comments.
However, nothing could be more different than courtroom CDC4 on the eighth floor of the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in downtown Fort Worth.
LaGrone slipped into court at exactly 9.30am for the raft of approximately 30 assorted cases to be heard starting at that time.
Wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt, light blue tie and smart black formal shoes that looked new, he peered hesitatingly for a place to sit among the other defendants in the crowded benches.
There was no sign of Madelaine, heiress to a Mercedes-Benz car dealership group in Florida, nor his 54-year-old mother Susan, who is reported to be an attorney.
However, the private security guard stuck close and stood sentry outside the courtroom door while he went in with his attorney Rhett Parham.
Wearing round glasses and with his hair slicked back just like in his wedding photos, LaGrone stared straight ahead after taking his seat. On his left ring finger sat the impressively thick white gold or platinum wedding band he's been wearing since the nuptials.
Judge Andy Porter asked each defendant to stand and affirm they were there. LaGrone leaped up and held his right arm high as he clearly declared 'present' when his name was called.
He then occasionally glanced down at his iPhone, while mostly staring straight ahead.
LaGrone and his bride, heiress Madelaine Brockway, who started dating in March, 2020, flew to Paris in a private jet for the November 18 wedding taking friends and family with them. They are pictured with his mother Susan
The day before the court appearance, the couple are believed to have spent all day holed up at their $1.4million four-bedroom home in tony Westworth Village, bought last year by Madelaine's tycoon father
But as the judge got proceedings underway for other cases, LaGrone's attorney came up to the accused gunman and whisked him outside at 9.47am.
The private security guard was waiting and tried to block any attempt to photograph LaGrone as he hustled his charge to a staircase and slammed a door in front of the DailyMail.com photographer.
A court official later told DailyMail.com: 'The case in ongoing. The defense and the state are discussing the next moves. This was settings hearing.'
LaGrone is accused of actually firing shots at the officers, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Westworth Village police said it 'received multiple disturbance calls to the same address'.
It added in a statement to DailyMail.com: 'A WVPD officer arrived on the scene assisted by two Westover Hills officers, at which time they were fired upon.'
DailyMail.com made several attempts to speak with attorney Parham at court for comment, but these were unsuccessful. We also emailed him and called his office. He did not respond.
His wife Madelaine has been spotted getting back into normal life this week in the Fort Worth area after the eye-watering celebrations.
Nor is it known if she's beginning to regret throwing her new husband under such a spotlight with the serious charges facing him.
On Tuesday, she was at a nail salon near the 7,500 sq ft six-bedroom Fort Worth home of parents Bob and Paula, worth an estimated $2.8million.
Sporting her wedding ring and wearing a black baseball cap and black and white sweater, she bade a fond farewell to a friend outside before jumping in her $179,000 Mercedes Benz AMG 63.
The day before the court appearance, the couple are believed to have spent all day holed up at their $1.4million four-bedroom home in tony Westworth Village, bought last year by Madelaine's tycoon father.
It is in an exclusive gated community and currently garlanded in festive wreaths for the upcoming holidays.
In stark contrast to loved-up LaGrone beaming with his bride-to-be and lapping up the outrageous magnificence of his marriage, in March this year he posed for a very different kind of photo – his mugshot.
Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com show that just months before his lavish nuptials, LaGrone was offered a plea deal after he was charged with aggravated assault
According to documents obtained by DailyMail.com, he was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of first-degree felony, which means either life in prison or a sentence of not more than 99 years or less than five.
The prospective husband was offered a plea deal according to the docs for the 'aggravated assault against a public servant', with a recommendation of 25 years.
Indictment number 1772818 against LaGrone by the State of Texas says the three officers involved were C. Munoz of Westworth Village police and C. Wilson and J. Dunlap, both of Westover Hills police.
It alleges LaGrone 'did intentionally and knowingly threaten imminent bodily injury' to the officers and 'did use or exhibit a deadly weapon during the commission of the assault, namely, a firearm'.
The indictment doesn't say where the alleged incident on March 13 happened, only that the officers were 'lawfully discharging an official duty' at the time.
At the time of his astonishing wedding, LaGrone was under strict behavioral rules that would have landed him in even more trouble with law enforcement.
He made $20,000 bond after his arrest, with conditions that he doesn't touch alcohol or firearms. Others included not committing any further alleged offenses or doing illegal drugs, plus having to give urine samples.
LaGrone's new in-laws are both power players in the motor world. Bob is chairman and CEO of Ussery Automative Group, which made headlines in August for selling two of its locations for a $150million profit.
Paula is vice president of a dealership in affluent Coral Gables, near Miami, where it appears the family may still have a home.
The in-laws formerly owned a magnificent pile in one of the most exclusive areas of Coral Gables, which they bought in 2007 for $7.5million, according to records seen by DailyMail.com.
But they sold it at a loss four years later for $4.3million – to tycoon Jose Mas who owns soccer team Inter Miami with his brother Jorge and global superstar David Beckham. Mas is understood to have rebuilt on the site and his property is valued at $24.5million.
While their eldest daughter was doing her best to break the internet with a barrage of images, she wasn't the only one displaying the opulence of the event.
For her nuptials, Madelaine wore a chic, white, off-the-shoulder wedding dress with a long train
The wedding itself featured a private performance by Maroon 5 and a massive six-tiered cake at the reception afterwards
The nuptials came complete with a rehearsal dinner at the Paris Opera House (seen), a private lunch at the Chanel Haute Couture Suite, and an overnight stay at the Palace of Versailles
LaGrone's mother Susan, 54, plastered her Instagram page with photos of herself, entrepreneur husband Tommy Jake, 55, and their accused son. One photo displayed a private plane.
University of Mississippi graduate LaGrone worked as a talent coordinator for the Country Music Association in his native Nashville in 2013 and 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile.
After that, he was an operations assistant for the Ole Miss football team for three years, where he 'provided daily assistance to the Director of Football Operations and Assistant Athletic Director'.
He then served as country superstar Jason Aldean's production assistant in 2018. It is unclear what he does for work now.
What he experienced this month must seem like a lifetime away.
He and Madelaine, who started dating in March, 2020, flew to Paris in a private jet for the November 18 wedding taking friends and family with them.
The extravaganza started with a party at the Chanel store – where the bride-to-be dressed in a white button-down sweater dress and black heels with a floral embellishment – delighted in treats with those closest to her.
The pampered group got to make their own custom Chanel pouches as they sipped champagne and sampled desserts.
Next day the wedding party headed to the Palace of Versailles, where they were given a private tour. It was there that the last queen of France, Marie Antionette reigned supreme before her execution in 1793 during the French Revolution.
That evening, Madelaine and LaGrone hosted a candlelit dinner for their relatives at the former royal residence, where waiters dressed in period garb.
The couple stayed overnight at the Le Grand Contrôle hotel in the Palace, where rooms start at $2,400 per night but go up to $14,200 depending on the type and size.
Next, Madelaine and Jacob visited the Eiffel Tower, before embarking on a nighttime boat tour of the city, where they splurged on more fine dining.
And later came a small after-party under the Arc De Triumph, where they snacked on macaroons and enjoyed some cocktails.
The rehearsal dinner was at the acclaimed Paris Opera House – and the pair had the building completely decked out with thousands of flowers.
The University of Mississippi graduate worked as a talent coordinator for the Country Music Association in 2013 and 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile. He began dating Madelaine in 2020
LaGrone is the son of Susan and Jake LaGrone, who is understood to be an entrepreneur in the software solutions business in Nashville
Jacob LaGrone headed to Paris on a private jet with his mother for his lavish wedding
According to a video shared by the floral company, it took 25 staff and an entire week of preparation to get the Opera House ready for the party, with vibrant displays cascading along the staircase.
Violinists lined the stairs and played as the couple entered, Madelaine in a white strapless mini gown and LaGrone in white shirt and white pants with a gray top.
The pair and their guests then dined under Marc Chagall's famous painted ceiling in the Garnier.
Madelaine sported a white strapless mini gown that was covered in fake flowers for the evening.
While the price of a bash at the Paris Opera House is not listed on its website, an event company has estimated it costs at least $325,000.
The wedding itself was at magnificent Chateau de Villette, 40 miles from the center of Paris. It was organized by The Como Wedding Planners, who called it a 'celebration of unparalleled excellence'
It's fair to say Madelaine's bachelorette party wasn't low key either.
She hosted a four-night stay at a celebrity-loved five-star resort in Utah with her closest friends last month. Each day had a different theme.
Judge Andy Porter asked each defendant to stand and affirm they were there. LaGrone leaped up and held his right arm high as he clearly declared 'present' when his name was called
However, the private security guard stuck close and stood sentry outside the courtroom door while he went in with his attorney Rhett Parham.
Reaction to Madelaine's photos and videos was instant.
'I am just sitting in my car right now with my jaw on the floor. The most stunning wedding in the world is happening right now,' event planner Lauren Zigman, posted in a video after coming across Madelaine's.
'Sofia Richie's was the 'it girl' wedding of 2023? No, this one is. Madelaine Brockway's wedding is it.
'Not many people even know who she is. I still don't know who she is.'
That's not the case now after her DailyMail.com revealed details of the nuptials and background on Miami-born Madelaine.
She attended the elite All Saints' Episcopal School, Fort Worth, before she headed to Texas Christian University for college.