Chris Cornell's memory still lingers years after his death.
The music industry lost one of its chambers when Cornell unexpectedly died in 2017. Although years have already passed, his family and friends can still recall the shock they faced after hearing the news.
His wife, Vicky Cornell, became the latest loved one to open up about his death, telling SiriusXM's "Gayle King in the House" on September 15 that it is important to note the cause of his passing.
The singer's widow explained how Cornell did not suffer suicidal ideation. In fact, he was already on his road to recovery when the tragic event happened. He was also taking benzodiazepine to help him cope with his thoughts.
"But again, looking back, nothing even at that very moment felt like - it's impossible. It came from nowhere, and so it's a very traumatic kind of loss," she said. "I do know the cause because I was on the phone with Chris, and he was in some sort of delirium the same night."
For what it's worth, Cornell was still able to call her before his death. At that time, Vicky reportedly knew something was not right as he sounded confused and high.
Thirty minutes after the call, the world lost Cornell for good.
Although the event was tragic, Vicky said knowing about the cause of death helped her and the family accept the loss. It also became a lesson for everyone to prevent it from happening again while letting it heal their hearts.
The family reportedly underwent therapy and mental health consultations with specialists.
Chris Cornell's Cause of Death
The Wayne County Medical Examiner confirmed that his cause of death was suicide by hanging. This caused his family to file a lawsuit against his doctor for overprescribing him with drugs, as the medical examiner's office revealed in the toxicology report that various prescription drugs were in his system at the time of his death.
However, it also noted that the levels did not contribute to his death in any way.
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Cornell was found dead by Bodyguard Martin Kirsten a few moments after giving the singer two doses of the prescription anti-anxiety medication Ativan following his concert at the Fox Theatre. He found him on the bathroom floor, "blood running from his mouth and a red exercise band around (his) neck."
Medic Dawn Jones still tried saving him by starting CPR, but Cornell still ultimately died.
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