Chris Cornell‘s bodyguard Martin Kirsten has offered a rare social media comment in relation to Cornell and Soundgarden, commenting on a post by Matt Cameron that appears to reference Soundgarden’s lawsuit with Chris’ widow Vicky Cornell over the unreleased final Soundgarden album and royalty payments. Cornell and Kirsten made an emotional purchase shortly before Chris’ death.
Matt Cameron posted a photo of a moose that says, “#istandwithsoundgarden says mama moose. Kirsten commented, “That’s a big guy 💪🏽.” Kirsten was the last man to see Chris Cornell alive as he accompanied him to his hotel room in Detroit on May 17, 2017 after Soundgarden’s final show.
After a call from Vicky Cornell and attempts to reach the hotel front desk, Kirsten kicked down Cornell’s hotel room door and discovered Cornell’s body hanging on his bathroom door. He attempted to save his life and paramedics attempted to assist, but tragically Cornell was pronounced dead at the scene. Kirsten gave an interview to police and was cleared of any involvement, silencing conspiracy theories.
Kirsten has remained largely silent in the last three years, though he was photographed dining with Chris’ brother Peter Cornell. In fall 2017, Peter called Kirsten his ‘brother.’
“On the other side of the world, it’s tomorrow. Which means…Happy Birthday Martin!!! My Friend. My Brother. From the four of us, We love you!!!” Kirsten responded, “Thank you bro! Miss you guys. See you next week.” Kirsten was also photographed with Soundgarden’s tour manager in 2018. If you are dealing with mental health issues, you can call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
