Vicky Cornell, the widow of late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, opened up about her husband's battles with addiction in an emotional sit-down with "Good Morning America," her first interview since the musician's death last year.
"My husband was the furthest thing from a rock star junkie — he just wasn't," she told GMA's Robin Roberts. "He was the best husband, the greatest father ... I lost my soulmate and the love of my life."
Chris Cornell had been battling addiction when he took his own life in May 2017, at the age of 52. The subsequent autopsy report showed he had several drugs in his system when he died, among them barbiturates, the anxiety medicine Ativan, and naloxone, a drug prescribed to stop opiod overdoses. While these substances did not contribute directly to his death, Vicky Cornell believes they played a role in her husband's state of mind in the hours leading up to his suicide.
"He wanted to be there for his family, for his children: He loved his life. He would never have ever left this world," Vicky said. "I don't think that he could make any decisions because of the level of impairment."
Later, Vicky reflected on the stigma surrounding addiction. "I know that people say, 'you know, you can't blame yourself,' and I'm trying not to — but there were signs" she told Roberts, holding back tears. "People think that addiction is like, 'Oh, you were an addict,' and people don't recognize it as a disease. I was — I feel — guilty of the same thing. You think addiction is a choice, and it's not."
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
