Vicky Cornell discussed her husband Chris Cornell’s death in a new People interview. She revealed that Chris’ last relapse before his final one was in 2009, during the Scream era.
He was also very much looking forward to an upcoming family trip to Disney World, with travel having become a big part of the family’s life once Chris got sober.
“In 2009 we’d had our babies and I said, ‘No more. I don’t want to hear about trains falling off the tracks,'” explained Vicky.
“I said, ‘Make a decision.'”
Chris chose his family over drugs and alcohol, and it made for a great family life, said his wife.
“He was completely present. He would literally come offstage and be sweating and I’d be like ‘here’ and hand over the baby,” said Vicky.
“Other rock-star dads would have separate rooms from their kids. My son Chris slept in our room up until six months ago.”
Vicky then added: “He loved his children and me more than anything in the world.”
Cornell was taking Ativan at the time of his death.
According to Dr. Benjamin Nordstrom, addiction psychiatrist at Phoenix House, “It’s hard to overstate how unpredictable the effects of mixing various mind-altering substances can be. Some of these combinations, especially those that involve sedative drugs, can lead to levels of impairment that are far out of proportion to what would have happened if the drugs were taken separately.” He adds, “In addition, suicide is nearly impossible to predict for families and professionals alike. Anyone struggling with substance abuse should seek help.”
