LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell has sued ex-wife and former manager Susan Silver, claiming she conspired to divert money owed him to other members of the band.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Superior Court, also alleges that Silver failed to act in Cornell's best interests and refused to return his journals, music sheets and two Grammy Awards.
Cornell claims his damages exceed $1 million. He also seeks punitive damages.
The lawsuit alleges that Silver acted with "fraud, oppression and malice," emanating "at least in part from the dissolution of their personal relationship and her incentive to further her career by maximizing the interests of other Soundgarden members."
Cornell, 41, was singer, songwriter and guitarist for Soundgarden from 1984 to 1997. He now fronts the rock band Audioslave.
He met Silver when she became Soundgarden's manager and the two were wed in 1990, said Cornell's lawyer, Paul Sorrell.
The couple ended their 12-year marriage in October 2002.
A message left at Silver's office Tuesday wasn't immediately returned.
Though Soundgarden dissolved in 1997, Silver continued to manage the band's ongoing revenues, Sorrell said. Cornell alleges Silver's conflicts of interest prevented her from representing the band fairly.
