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The surviving members of Soundgarden have responded to a lawsuit from Chris Cornell‘s widow Vicky, saying they are “confident that clarity will come out in court”.
Last week, Cornell filed a case in court against the band after they attempted to buy out her stake in her late husband’s band for what she has called a “ludicrously low” price.
According to Variety, the three remaining Soundgarden members offered Ms Cornell less than $300,000 (£217,000) for her share in the band’s masters, publishing royalties and other revenue. Vicky Cornell inherited her stake in the band’s profits following Chris Cornell’s passing in 2017.
“This action has been necessitated by the self-serving and heartless actions of the remaining members of the band Soundgarden, who are seeking to rob from their former bandmate, Chris Cornell (‘Chris’), his wife (‘Vicky’), and their minor children, Chris’ legacy and life’s worth, which has made them millions of dollars,” an excerpt from Cornell’s statement reads.
In response, Soundgarden members Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd have shared their own statement. “The buyout offer that was demanded by the Estate has been grossly mischaracterised and we are confident that clarity will come out in court,” they wrote.
“All offers to buy out our interests have been unsolicited and rejected outright. For more than a year, Soundgarden’s social media accounts have been hijacked; misleading and confusing our fans.
“Being a band from Washington State since 1984, we are proud of Soundgarden’s musical legacy, work and career. We look forward to completing the final Soundgarden album.”
Vicky Cornell’s lawsuit is the latest chapter in the legal saga between herself and Soundgarden. In late 2019, she sued the band over the rights to several unreleased Soundgarden songs, claiming the tracks entitled her to “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in royalties.
The band sued Cornell in 2020, alleging that she repurposed funds raised by a charity concert, organised as a tribute to her late husband, for her personal needs. The group subsequently dropped the lawsuit.
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