One of the saddest, strangest sagas in rock may be coming to an end: Soundgarden and Chris Cornell’s widow Vicky Cornell have announced a temporary truce in which the surviving band members will take over the Soundgarden social media accounts.
Amid dueling lawsuits, one of the biggest points of contention has been the band’s virtual real estate. In February of this year, the band claimed that, “Soundgarden’s social media accounts have been hijacked; misleading and confusing our fans,” and in March, leaked court documents alleged that in 2019, “Vicky [Cornell] has since since changed all the social media passwords for the band accounts and will not share them… as she wants the band, and I quote, ‘to sue her for them’.” For her part, Cornell responded in April, accusing the band of trying to “maliciously defame her” and “harass” her children.
Now, the two camps seem to have found common ground. According to a joint statement, as of June 15th Soundgarden and Cornell “have come to a temporary agreement that will transfer the Soundgarden social media accounts and website to the band’s remaining members, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd and their managers, Red Light Management.” It continued, “The agreement marks a productive first step towards healing and open dialogue, and the parties wish for the social media accounts to celebrate the Band’s accomplishments and music while continuing to honor Chris’ legacy.”
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In a separate statement, Cornell added, “Through our joint social media efforts and our temporary agreement, my family, along with the surviving members of Soundgarden, hope to celebrate Chris and his music out of mutual respect and love. We all recognize the profound pain caused by Chris’s tragic loss and the path it has taken us down.”
At this time, there’s no news on the most recent lawsuit between the parties. In February, Vicky Cornell sued Soundgarden over a buyout offer.