It's been over a month since the tragic passing of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell. Cornell was found in his hotel room after a gig in Detroit, where he hung himself, which was quickly ruled a suicide, Cornell's wife, Vicky rejected the ruling by law enforcement. She blamed the death on taking too much anti-anxiety medication, especially after her final conversation with Chris, where she said he didn't sound like himself, and sounded like he did when he was addicted to Oxycontin.
A toxicology report revealed the singer had Naloxone (Narcan), Butalbital (sedative), Lorazepam (Ativan), Pseudoephedrine (decongestant) and barbiturates in his system. In a new interview with People, Vicky Cornell, Chris' widow, says she doesn't believe Chris wanted to die.
“My Chris was happy, loving, caring and warm,” says Vicky. “This was not a depressed man—it wasn’t like I missed that. What I missed were the signs of addiction. [..] He didn’t want to die,” she says. “If he was of sound mind, I know he wouldn’t have done this.”
As for why Vicky is being very public with this, she hopes that her story will inspire others to get help.
“Addiction is a disease,” she says now. “That disease can take over you and has full power.” Now she’s focused on helping her children cope while trying to find a sense of normalcy. And she’s sharing her family’s pain for an important reason: “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure other children don’t have to cry like mine have cried.”
