Courtney Love says she’ll sue over leaked “confidential” deposition papers filed by her daughter, Francis Bean Cobain, which allege drug use and claims her reckless behavior caused the death of the family cat and dog.
Lawyers for Love say the paperwork, filed in 2009 when her now 19-year-old daughter was seeking a restraining order, was sealed by a court and should never have been released. James Janowitz, of Pryor Cashman, said he’s investigating how Web site The Fix and a new e-book, “Courtney Comes Clean,” quoted from paperwork.
“I was the lawyer who worked on these [family court] proceedings in Los Angeles, and the filing was confidential and sealed as is customary in these kind of cases,” Janowitz said. “I don’t know how they were disclosed . . . When I find out what happened, we will take the appropriate legal action.”
The bombshell court papers include claims the family cat died after getting “entangled” in Love’s piles of possessions, while the dog, Uncle Fester, allegedly swallowed some of Love’s prescription pills. The papers also claim Cobain worries about Love’s prescription drug use and that she’ll start a fire because she falls asleep in bed while smoking.
“For somebody to meddle in such private and personal matters is pretty reprehensible,” Janowitz says. “We can say that all of the statements made about [Love] relating to the court filings, her daughter and other personal matters are false.” Despite this, we’re told Love’s relationship with Cobain is good and they remain in constant contact.
The Fix editor and author Maer Roshan said, “I honestly regret that Courtney is upset. While there’s been lots of press about the deposition, reviews of the book have universally commented on its nuanced and empathetic portrayal . . . As most people know, Courtney is not a model of discretion . . . The details about the deposition are absolutely true, and I stand by every word in the book.”