Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell Settle Yearslong Legal Disputes

Chris Cornell’s former bandmates in Soundgarden have resolved legal issues with the singer’s widow, Vicky Cornell, the parties announced today. “The reconciliation marks a new partnership betwen the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on,” Cornell and Soundgarden wrote. Find the full statement below.

In 2019, a couple of years after the death of Chris Cornell, Vicky Cornell sued the surviving members of Soundgarden and accused them of withholding royalties in order to obtain seven unreleased recordings. The band argued that the recordings were made for a Soundgarden album and are, therefore, property of the group.

Vicky Cornell sued Soundgarden again in 2021, alleging that the band tried to buy out her interest in Soundgarden “for the villainously low figure of less than $300,000.” Amid that dispute, the Soundgarden members claimed that Cornell locked them out of their social media accounts, but their access was eventually restored.

Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell:

Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, on behalf of the Estate of Chris Cornell, are happy to announce they have reached an amicable out of court resolution. The reconciliation marks a new partnership betwen the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on. The two parties are united and coming together to prople, honor and build upon Soundgarden’s incredible legacy as well as Chris’s indelible mark on music history—as one of the greatest songwriters and vocalists of all time.

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