Hi 🤍
Do you know when demri and layne got engaged and how he proposed?
When demri was with rosheen, was she still with layne too?
First question:
[Demri and Layne in the spring of 1990 by Krista Kay. A claddagh ring found on the internet]
From «Alice In Chains: The Untold Story» by David de Sola:
«At some point during 1990-1991, Layne and Demri got engaged. [Demri’s mother Kathleen] Austin does not know the specifics of when or how this happened but says that Layne bought Demri a claddagh ring, an Irish design consisting of two hands clasping a heart, often surmounted by a crown. Jim Elmer recalls that the two families went out to dinner to celebrate the engagement. Wedding plans were made, though the engagement was eventually called off. According to Austin, Layne and Demri chose Kiana Lodge for the venue, located on Bainbridge Island, a ferry ride away from downtown Seattle. Demri bought a wedding dress from a vintage clothing store in Pioneer Square»
According to their friend Amber Ferrano: “I don’t know the first time Demri called and told me [about the engagement], and I am not very girly to get caught up in how, although I am sure I probably journaled it. Fabiola knows because they went dress shopping, that might have been the second time he asked her. When she told me, I told her to come up to my mom’s wedding dress shop and pick something out - we had Jessica McClintock - which looked vintage but she wanted actual vintage which is what her and Fabiola shopped for. I ended up bringing three dresses from the store and she picked one. At the time Layne was living with Damon [Stewart] and had just broken up with Simone and he had professed how stupid he was for breaking up with her and how much he really loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He was being all mushy. Once he saw the dresses though reality set in as she tried one on after the other and he looked like a deer in headlights at first. I think a lot of it had to do with Damon and Howard [Gonzalez] being there. As Demri sat in the tub, I held the dresses as a final decision was made on the dress they liked the best. It wasn’t the perfect one, Demri would have to alter it and she did later, taking the appliqué off and the bottom half of the dress, saving the beaded top part. As we talked about it and the possibility of having the wedding at my parents (on 10 acres with 52 landscape gardens), Damon and Howard sat out in the living room listening to the new Alice demo. I remember ‘Would’ being one of them. I think that was summer of 1992. In the summer of 1993 I don’t remember the proposal but we were in Vegas at a house I was living at up at The Lakes. In May of 1994 Demri was in the hospital and Layne was on the phone talking to her. The plan was to do the European tour with Metallica and come home and do the Lollapalooza tour with a surprise wedding after one of the shows. Can’t think of which, it would seem like the Seattle one but I am thinking it may have been the Bay Area gig. Layne sounded excited and I made notes for him of things that needed to be done and then took him to UMC to see Demri and as far as I knew it was the plan until the bottom fell out over the Metallica thing. It’s the last time I saw Layne clean and sober and he looked radiant and beautiful and his hair was a yellow-blond and he was a bit tan from being at rehab in Arizona where he took off to be with Demri the next day. I know at one point they had even talked about coming up to Alaska when I was living there to get married until Layne found out he was going to be on tour for a year without a break. I knew they would be together so it wasn’t like a regular sit down and plan it as it could just have easily been a run off some place on a moments notice. In fact I am remembering Cabo being one idea and a beach wedding. I think he also proposed the first night they met.”
So we don't really know the specifics about this, but there's going to be a new Layne book going to be published this autumn and maybe we get more details about that? the title is: This Angry Pen of Mine. Recovering the Journals of Layne Staley
...
As for the second question:
[Collage of 1- Rosheen at Capistrano Valley High School yearbook, 1992. Memories of Demri. 2- October 18, 1993 - Demri and Rosheen Nicole Raugi at Queen Anne Hill, Seattle, by Sooopy. Not sure if Demri is wearing her engagement ring? 3- Rosheen with friends. Laguna Beach, CA, 1990 (shared by Lanessa Bustamante), via Memories of Demri. 4- December 1991 - Layne (c) with his sister Liz and father Phill (L), Demri, and friend/musician Johnny Bacolas]
In the early 90's Rosheen moved to Seattle to be with her best friend Barbara Dearaujo, who introduced her to Demri and they started dating. Both were petites and looked very alike.
💬 Amber Ferrano: “I fell in love with Ro instantly and she was adorable, and cute, and cuddly. I am not sure if she was that way before but around Demri they were. It was like being around little cute puppies. When they were good it was great, when they messed up you just forgave them because they were really trying to help each other be and do better, and because they really-really wanted it and you wanted it for them”.
According to Amber, Layne and Demri never fully broke up. “Demri was with Layne when she was with Rosheen and vice versa and they both accepted it”. Rosheen once told her friend Lina that she and Layne used to fight like brother and sister. Rosheen wasn't around Demri and her friends towards the end. She was in town but not doing stuff with them.
So yes, for a while Demri was with both Layne and Rosheen.
Hope that helps and thank you for asking! :)
