Son of Longtime ‘Letterman' Producer Charged With Attempted Murder
Arlo Willner, the 20-year-old son of late Saturday Night Live music sketch producer Hal Willner and wife Sheila Rogers, an Emmy-winning producer who has worked for Saturday Night Live, The Late Late Show and The Late Show With David Letterman, has been charged with attempted murder after a knife attack outside of a bar in Manhattan over the weekend.
Willner was arrested at 3:35 a.m. after he allegedly stabbed three people outside of Sally's Bar at 129 Lexington Ave.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Brody Jenner Signs With UTA for Music and Touring (Exclusive)
Backstreet Boys' Howie Dorough Talks Handbag Line, Hotel Opening and the One Epic Move Fans Are Dying to See at "Movie-Like" Las Vegas Residency
Trump Calls For "Major Investigation" Into Springsteen, Beyoncé Appearances at Kamala Harris Rallies
According to a criminal complaint obtained by the New York Post, Willner allegedly approached three men outside of the bar and asked to buy cocaine. After he was told 'this was not the place for that,' the Post notes, Willner allegedly pulled out a knife and slashed one victim in the neck, another in the abdomen and a third in the shoulder.
The attack came to an end, the Post reports, when one of the victims grabbed the knife and threw it in the street.
The victims were taken to Bellevue hospital in stable condition.
Willner was subsequently charged with attempted murder as well as charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
He was arraigned in Manhattan criminal court, where he pleaded not guilty and later posted bail, which had been set at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond.
His next court appearance is set for Thursday, May 22.
Willner's attorney has not yet responded to The Hollywood Reporter's request for comment.
Rogers has most recently worked as a talent producer for Saturday Night Live as well as SNL's 50th anniversary special and the Ladies and Gentlemen documentary looking back at the music on the long-running late-night sketch show. Prior to that she served as a co-executive producer and supervising producer for The Late Late Show With James Corden before it ended in 2023. And she spent 10 years as a producer and talent executive on The Late Show With David Letterman from 2005-2015. She also worked as a talent coordinator for Letterman's Late Night from 1991-1993.
Hal Willner was a longtime music sketch producer on Saturday Night Live who died in March 2020 after having symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
He was also known for assembling diverse groups of musicians to play slightly off-center work and produced scores for Gangs of New York and Talladega Nights as well as albums by Marianne Faithfull and Lou Reed.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More
Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025
Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
19 minutes ago
- New York Post
The Post tests Sydney Sweeney's soap made with her bathwater
They were soaked in Sydney. Not the city in Australia, the actress. Sydney Sweeney released a sultry soap made with her used bathwater — and The Post managed to scoop up two samples before the 5,000 bars sold out in less than a minute online Friday. Advertisement The 27-year-old Emmy-nominated star teamed up with the 'natural manly soap' brand Dr. Squatch to create Sydney's Bathwater Bliss. Here's what our 'judges' had to say about the $8 bars: 4 'When your fans start asking for your bathwater, you can either ignore it, or turn it into a bar of Dr. Squatch soap,' Sydney Sweeney said in a news release. Dr Squatch/MEGA Advertisement 'For starters, it is the worst tasting celebrity bathwater-based product I've ever tried,' Post reporter Chris Harris quipped. 'Sadly, it is also the closest I am ever going to get to Sydney's bathtub,' he added. The regular Squatch soap user said he 'thoroughly enjoyed' the soap, which contains exfoliating sand and is infused with notes of pine, Douglas fir and moss. 'Though, it makes me wonder how much of Sydney's bathwater was actually used in making the soap. I hope not too much, as it is a very manly scent,' he said. Advertisement Post features editor Andrew Court also lathered up with it — but would have preferred if it contained the bathwater of Sweeney's 'Euphoria' co-star. 'As a gay man, I'm not exactly the target market for Sydney's Bathwater Bliss. Personally, I'd prefer Jacob Elordi's bathwater,' he said. 4 Andrew Court gave the soap a thumbs up. New York Post However, his straight 32-year-old roommate was elated. Advertisement 'His eyes lit up. 'Is that the Sydney Sweeney soap? I thought it was sold out. How'd you get that?' 'It was as if I'd struck gold,' Court said. 'I've never seen a man so enthused about a personal hygiene product in my entire life.' 4 To create Sydney's Bathwater Bliss, the actress teamed up with the brand Dr. Squatch, which only made 5,000 bars. Dr Squatch/MEGA The roomies proceeded to cut the bar in half so they could both sample Sydney's suds. 'To someone on the outside it must have looked hilarious: Two grown men hovered over the kitchen counter delicately dividing up a small bar of green soap,' the scribe said. Court was captivated by its squeaky clean scent. 4 'Sadly, it is also the closest I am ever going to get to Sydney's bathtub,' Chris Harris quipped. Dr. Squatch Advertisement 'The box . . . says it 'smells like morning wood,' but it actually has the aroma of a fresh pine forest. For a concept that's quite dirty, it smells super clean. 'It's strong, but not overwhelming, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it,' he said, although the price might make him stick with his two-for-$3.99 soap from Trader Joe's. His roomie, meanwhile, gushed, 'I really like the smell, and something about it just feels extra special.'
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Is SNL new tonight on June 7, 2025? Here's the answer.
Is SNL new tonight on June 7, 2025? Here's the answer. It was a great Season 50 of Saturday Night Live so far, with some hilarious cold opens, funny moments on Weekend Update and so many guest stars. There was also the big SNL 50 celebration this year. And if you're here, you might be getting ready to watch SNL on Saturday, June 7, 2025 and wondering: is it all new tonight? If not, is it a rerun? Who's hosting? THE 15 BEST SKETCHES IN SNL HISTORY: Our rankings of the best of Saturday Night Live The answer ... No. It's a rerun after the season finale a few of weeks ago. NBC's site says we're getting the episode in which Mikey Madison was host and Morgan Wallen was the musical guest, but there's also a listing that says it's the Jack Black episode with Elton John and Brandi Carlile. It'll be a while until we get a new episode, sadly, but at least we can rewatch the past season's funny episodes. There you have it. Enjoy!
Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Biblioracle: Jess Walter's latest novel, ‘So Far Gone,' has echoes from his earlier books
Jess Walter, author of the just about to be released 'So Far Gone,' is one of my favorite contemporary novelists. He's been something of a shapeshifter over the course of his career, first establishing himself as a crime writer, including in the Edgar Award-winning 'Citizen Vince.' 'The Zero,' from 2006, uses Walter's base in crime fiction set against the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the service of a kind of hybrid noir that, through the lens of one character, brilliantly captures our collective disorientation in those first weeks and months post-attack. 'The Financial Lives of Poets' (2009) is a medium-dark domestic comedy about a journalist who (sort of) turns to crime to make ends meet as his profession collapses around him. 'Beautiful Ruins' (2013) is my favorite of Walter's novels, a sprawling tale across time, the 1960s to the present, and place, the glamour of Italy and the glitz of Hollywood. 'The Cold Millions' (2020) explores nascent labor activism in the logging industry of the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century. The DNA of 'So Far Gone' has elements from across Walter's oeuvre. Like 'The Financial Lives of the Poets,' the central character, Rhys Kinnick, is a journalist who has left the profession, retreating from it and his family to a hermit-like life on some ancestral family land in a cold-water cabin in Washington state. Rhys is drawn back to the world when his 9-year-old and 14-year-old grandchildren (Asher and Leah) are brought to his door and he finds out his daughter, Bethany, has gone missing. Rhys has retreated because his profession, his marriage and his relationship with Bethany all appeared dead, the separation kicked off by Rhys punching Bethany's increasingly devout, increasingly radical second husband (and Leah's father), Shane, in the face over political stances entirely divorced from reality. Rhys thinks he's a failure, a drag on his loved ones. Bethany feels as though he's abandoned his family. This psychological baggage and the way it defines the characters are the center of the novel. Rhys brings the kids to what is supposed to be Asher's junior chess tournament, but quickly loses his grandchildren when they are confronted by members of the Army of the Lord, a radical sect to which Shane sort of belongs. Rhys now needs help, bringing him back into the lives of others. Walter taps into his crime origins to bring us his penchant for snappy dialogue and expert quick establishment of these secondary characters, including Lucy — once Rhys' girlfriend just before and just post-divorce, and still an editor at the paper Rhys left — and Chuck, Lucy's ex-boyfriend and an ex-cop who is looking to get back into Lucy's good graces while also having a particular enmity toward the Army of the Lord. The story careens on from there as different characters are lost and then found throughout. This is, as expected, a very well-done novel. Rhys is winning and interesting even in the midst of a pathetic moment. Walter delves straight into strange territory, asking how some significant portion of people can choose to detach themselves from reality in the name of trying to find solace in a hostile world. There are laugh-out-loud moments of comedy and dark incidents of violence. It's not clear why, ultimately, I wasn't more satisfied by this book. I think it's me, and these times. Walter is trying to paint a route through what seems to be a kind of collective madness to reconnection and a return to community and dignity. It's a story I want to be true. But right now, I don't trust it. I hope someday it does come true. John Warner is the author of books including 'More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI.' You can find him at Book recommendations from the Biblioracle John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books you've read. 1. 'Antarctica' by Claire Keegan 2. 'Dream State' by Eric Puchner 3. 'Table for Two' by Amor Towles 4. 'Just Mercy' by Bryan Stevenson 5. 'Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets' by Burkhard Bilger'Eat the Document' by Dana Spiotta is a great character study rooted in two eras simultaneously, late '60s early '70s political radicals, and the suburbs of the 1990s. 1. 'Middle of the Night' by Riley Sager 2. 'Think Twice' by Harlan Coben 3. 'The Quiet Librarian' by Allen Eskens 4. 'James' by Percival Everett 5. 'Presumed Guilty' by Scott TurowAnybody who looks like they enjoy a good twisty thriller is a good candidate for one of my favorites of the last several years, 'Who Is Maud Dixon?' by Alexandra Andrews. 1. 'The Sympathizer' by Viet Thanh Nguyen 2. 'Crazy Brave' by Joy Harjo 3. 'Parable of the Sower; Parable of the Talents' by Octavia E. Butler 4. 'Braiding Sweetgrass' by Robin Wall Kimmerer 5. 'Born to Run' by Bruce SpringsteenI think Adele is a great candidate for Lorrie Moore's strange and powerful 'I Am Homeless if This Is Not My Home.' Get a reading from the Biblioracle Send a list of the last five books you've read and your hometown to biblioracle@
