Courtney Love Sends Cease and Desist to Kurt Cobain Documentary Soaked in Bleach
Courtney Love‘s lawyers have sent a cease and desist letter to theaters showing Soaked in Bleach, the recently released documentary that focuses on the circumstances surrounding Kurt Cobain‘s death, as Deadline reports.
The movie explores the long-standing rumor that Cobain’s death, which was ruled a suicide, might have been a homicide; it also discusses Love’s potential involvement. As such, Love is seeking to have the movie held out of theaters, alleging that “the Film falsely presents a widely and repeatedly debunked conspiracy theory that accuses Ms. Cobain of orchestrating the death of her husband Kurt Cobain,” as the letter reads.
The letter points to the Seattle Police Department’s 1994 and 2014 investigations that concluded Cobain’s death was a suicide. “Any accusation that our client was responsible in any way for Mr. Cobain’s death thus cannot have any credibility,” it reads. “Any alleged factual representation to the contrary would be knowingly false, and hence intentionally and maliciously defamatory.” It also discusses emotional trauma caused to Love by the rumor’s circulation, as well as the loss of potential business opportunities should the rumor persist.
In a statement given to Deadline, the film’s producers pushed back against the letter. It partially reads:
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.
The letter concludes: “Courtney Love and her lawyers clearly don’t like that the film presents a compelling case for re-opening the investigation into Kurt’s death. They should respect the First Amendment and let people decide for themselves.”
Love and her daughter Frances Bean Cobain authorized director Brett Morgen to make the documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck earlier this year. Read the Dissolve’s review of Montage of Heck.
Watch a trailer for Soaked in Bleach:
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