Vicky Cornell, wife of the late Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, disputes the Detroit coroner’s conclusion that her husband took his own life on Wednesday. In a letter from Cornell and family attorney Kirk Pasich, Vicky wrote that Chris Cornell might have died from an accidental overdose of anxiety medications, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Cornell was found dead in his hotel room with a cord around his neck, shortly after playing a show in Detroit; the city’s medical examiner later ruled that Cornell committed suicide by hanging. “Without the results of toxicology tests, we do not know what was going on with Chris — or if any substances contributed to his demise,” Pasich said in the statement. “Chris, a recovering addict, had a prescription for Ativan and may have taken more Ativan than recommended dosages.” Vicky said she spoke to Chris before the show, and they talked about plans for Memorial Day. “When we spoke after the show, I noticed he was slurring his words; he was different,” she said. “When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they check on him.”
The family believes that Chris’s suicide was accidental. “Chris’s death is a loss that escapes words and has created an emptiness in my heart that will never be filled,” Vicky said. “As everyone who knew him commented, Chris was a devoted father and husband. He was my best friend. His world revolved around his family first and of course, his music, second.”
