Chris Cornell’s widow sues Soundgarden, claims band has withheld “thousands” in royalties

“I will not be bullied or shamed into silence”

Vicky Cornell, the wife of late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, is taking legal action against the band.

Vicky is alleging that the group and their business manager have “conspired to wrongfully withhold hundreds of thousands of dollars” in royalties from her and their two children, according to a filed complaint obtained by PEOPLE. She also claims that the group have attempted to “strong-arm” his estate into turning over seven recordings, which were made before Cornell’s death in 2017.

Vicky claims in the complaint that the seven tracks solely feature Chris’ voice and were written by him alone, and that they are the rightful property of both her and their children.

In the complaint, Vicky claimed that she had offered to share the recordings with the band “provided that they were released in a way that would respect her late husband’s legacy,” but the band refused, claiming that the songs belonged to them.  She has also alleged that the members of the group have “menaced” their family “with false media statements.”

Read more: People