Earlier today, we reported that the Detroit police department was investigating the death of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell as a potential suicide. Now The Hollywood Reporter has a followup, reporting that the Wayne County medical examiner’s office has confirmed this report, and officially ruled Cornell’s death a suicide. Cornell was found with a “band around his neck,” as the Detroit Free Press reports, and apparently hanged himself in his hotel room at the MGM Grand in downtown Detroit after a show at the Fox Theatre. A family friend came upon Cornell’s body when he came to check on him around midnight last night.
Cornell’s representative, Brian Bumbery, says that Cornell’s suicide was ”sudden and unexpected” and that his wife and family are in shock. Cornell is survived by his wife, Vicky, whom he married in 2004, their two children, and a third child from a previous marriage.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.