It's been over two decades since the devastating death of Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain and for some; the story still remains a mystery. The latest Cobain documentary, Soaked in Bleach, was unveiled last week and details the singer's suicide, bringing conspiracy theories to the foreground while pointing the blame in the direction of his widow, Courtney Love.
Movie theaters showing the Benjamin Statler-directed docudrama were slapped with a cease-and-desist from Love's legal team, Dongell Lawrence Finney LLP. The letter declares the film "falsely presents a widely and repeatedly debunked conspiracy theory that accuses Ms. Cobain of orchestrating the death of her husband Kurt Cobain [...] There is simply no credible evidence to support any of these defamatory claims, as has been publicly known for years. In 1994 the Seattle Police Department ("SPD") investigated the tragic event of Mr. Cobain's death and concluded the case a suicide."
Soaked in Bleach follows the emergence of Brett Morgen's Montage of Heck, which was given access to Cobain's archives and saw overwhelming assistance from Love and the couple's daughter Frances Bean Cobain. The new conspiracy-centered documentary is told from the point of view of private investigator Tom Grant, who was once hired by Love to find an escaped Cobain--just days later, he was found dead in a room above the garage on April 8, 1994. An in-depth exploration led Grant to believe his employer, Love, murdered the musician. The film incorporates expert and witness testimonies, re-enactments with actors and well as numerous recorded conversations with Love, notes UltimateClassicRock.
The film producers forwarded a statement to Deadline, stating, "We were disturbed to learn that Courtney Love's lawyers sent threatening letters to movie theaters all over the country. Most arrived before Soaked in Bleach was released last week, presumably before she or her lawyers ever saw it. She obviously hoped to scare theater owners into dropping the film. Thankfully, very few were intimidated. Most saw the letter for what it is - a cowardly attack on the rights of free speech, free expression and free choice."
