TMZ reports, “Chris Cornell was funneled dangerous drugs in enormous quantities by his doctor, without so much as a visit or even a phone call, and that’s what caused him to die by suicide … so claims his widow.
Vicky Cornell is suing Dr. Robert Koblin for malpractice, claiming the doctor prescribed 940 doses of the anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam (aka Ativan) as well as Oxycodone during the last 20 months of his life, without even examining the Soundgarden singer, performing lab studies … anything to determine if Chris was in danger.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Chris was a known ‘addiction-prone individual,’ yet the doctor took no steps to protect him. The suit claims, in 2004, Chris’ therapist for his substance abuse referred him to Dr. Koblin, so the doctor well knew Chris was an addict.
The lawsuit alleges Lorazepam increases the risk of suicide in addiction-prone individuals by impairing judgment and rational thinking. It also diminishes impulse control.”
“According to the lawsuit, Dr. Koblin never warned Chris about the dangers of suicide or other side effects of long-term Lorazepam use.
The suit claims Dr. Koblin permitted non-physician staff to write hundreds of Lorazepam prescriptions, without showing any medical necessity or providing any monitoring.
Vicky and her 2 children are suing for unspecified damages.”
In a May 2018 Detroit News article, Chris Cornell’s widow Vicky claims the medical examiner conducted a “botched investigation,” leaving holes in the narrative that have spurred conspiracy theorists to make “all sorts of false accusations and subjected me to constant online attacks.”
“This has left me and my family still looking for answers, but at the same time, set off this whirlwind of conspiracies,” she told The Detroit News. “Some of the people are just fans looking for answers, but some of them are conspiracy theorists who have said the most vile things to my children and me.”
Among the issues Vicky Cornell points out is that the Wayne County medical examiner’s autopsy report stated: “Drugs did not contribute to the cause of death” — which she said is “completely misleading,” spawning speculation that he was killed.
“The poor choice of phrasing has misled the public to believing he was of sound mind and body,” she said. “So some conspiracy people think if Chris wasn’t impaired, he would never have killed himself, and so he must have been killed — and then they start getting into the rest of the holes.”
Later in the article, she discussed her final conversation with Chris.
“When I spoke with him on the phone the night he died, he was slurring his words (and) was on and off incoherent,” she said. “He said he’d taken two Ativan. His bodyguard was supposed to only give him one per night. We didn’t fight; I was just upset that he took more, and I could hear the effect it had. I was not going to enable him. (I said) ‘what do you mean you took two?’
“At that point, I kept asking him what else he took, but he just repeated the same thing over and over again: ‘My ears won’t stop ringing. They blew my voice out.’ I called for help, as I was sure he had taken something else by now. I worried he could have heart attack or stroke. I was asking (what drugs he’d taken) so that I could advise for proper medical attention.
“I imagined (he’d taken) Oxycontin. I recall the ambulance finally arriving after multiple calls and me pleading the hotel to call 911. They would not, despite mine and (Chris Cornell’s bodyguard Martin Kristen’s) efforts.”
