Vicky Cornell clears up rumors over Chris Cornell statue vandalism
Vicky Cornell has taken to Instagram to clear rumors regarding the vandalism of late husband Chris Cornell’s statue.
At approximately 6 a.m. PST on Thursday, the bronze statue of the Soundgarden frontman was defaced with white paint. The memorial was commissioned by his family as a donation to the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. Executed by artist Nick Marra and unveiled in October 2018, it depicts Cornell playing a Gibson guitar.
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Vicky acknowledged the act in an Instagram post Friday, stating that she was “heartbroken to learn of the [vandalism].” In the post, she noted that it was a targeted threat unrelated to local riots and protests. She went on to thank fans who had come together Thursday night to clean the mess.
On Monday, she provided further clarity in a post made to Chris Cornell’s Instagram account. According to her statement, the narrative regarding the involvement of “Save the Children” protesters was misinformed.
The “Save the Children” movement by QAnon aims to raise awareness over child trafficking. It has gained traction in recent weeks, motivating over 200 events across the country.
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“I know the news of the vandalism was as heartbreaking to many of you as it was to our family, so I wanted to share this with you and clarify the misinformation that continues to spread online about supposed rioters and ‘save the children’ [protesters] being responsible for this senseless based on [an] image being circulated showing writing on the sidewalk,” she states.
She proceeds to discredit the “false narrative,” which cites the presence of “Save the Children” written in chalk near the statue. Contrary to the claims being made by various accounts, the writing had been there for a few days prior to the vandalism. It had mostly washed away by Thursday.
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Vicky concludes by revealing an interesting connection between the sources of the rumors and their previous social media activity.
“Sadly, the same accounts involved in spreading this false narrative are the very ones who previously ‘liked’ posts wishing/encouraging that someone would deface Chris’ statue,” she writes. “We would appreciate it if those accounts would stop spreading misinformation and fomenting discord, as it tarnishes Chris’ legacy, masks the truth and hurts those who Chris loved as well as Chris’ true fans.”
As of Thursday, museum officials were assessing damage and planning the restoration of the memorial. The scope and timeline of required efforts has not yet been provided.
