“I Lost 17 Oscars, But I Won a Pig”: How Diane Warren Saved Wilbur

Logo text Just weeks ago, he was homeless, wandering aimlessly through the mean streets of West Hollywood. Then, somebody pointed a camera at him and he became an overnight sensation, with hundreds of thousands of fans watching his videos. Now he lives on a 7-acre ranch in Malibu, where he’s fed gourmet salads, enjoys the company of a colorful new social circle and has even landed an invite to the Oscars. Just another typical Hollywood success story — except this one happens to be about a 17-pound baby pig that got adopted by Diane Warren. Last month, when video of a runaway piglet tearing down Hayworth Avenue and through the alleys near Canter’s Deli hit social media, the internet went nuts. One TikTok of the scrappy piggy dodging cars and darting between would-be animal rescuers’ legs racked up nearly a half million views. Ultimately, Wilbur — as the internet named him — was taken into custody at the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter. Nobody came to claim him, so five days later, on Aug. 20, the shelter held a silent auction. All prospective adopters were required to do was show up in person with a credit card, a winning bid and proof of a legally permissible place to keep a barnyard animal. Four people turned up, including one sent by a certain frequently Oscar-nominated songwriter with a history for rescuing animals. “A few years back, I saved a cow that escaped from a slaughterhouse, so people kept sending me the footage of Wilbur,” Warren says. “So, I told my friend Marcia Zwilling — who runs my rescue ranch — ‘We’ve got to save Wilbur.’ And she went and got him.” Warren won’t say how much she paid, but it’s clear no expense is being spared on Wilbur’s pampered new lifestyle on Warren’s Malibu spread, which he shares with a slew of goats, donkeys, ducks and other creatures. “He’s having a great time,” Warren says. “He’s like a celebrity. He eats better than I do. Maybe he’ll come to the Academy Awards with me.” Not that she’s expecting to win any. “I’ve lost 17 Oscars,” she notes. “But I won a pig.” *** Also in Rambling Reporter: Discover Adam Scott’s surprising favorite Indiana Jones movie and other Hollywood stars’ unexpected film picks from Dave Karger’s book, 50 Movie Nights; Anna Wintour‘s latest Met Gala mess. This story appeared in the Sept. 2 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.