Chris Cornell’s Wife says she does not believe her husband intentionally killed himself and she is hoping for more answers surrounding his sudden and unexpected death. The Soundgarden frontman was found dead in a Detroit hotel room with a band around his neck, just hours after playing a concert at the Fox Theater and his death was ruled a suicide by medical examiners. In a statement posted by Pitchfork, Cornell’s family said that if Chris took his own life “he did not know what he was doing.” The family believes that if drugs were involved, it may have affected the late grunge icon’s actions.

The rock icon had a past history with drugs

According to Spin, a lawyer for the Cornell family ruled that Chris had a prescription for the anti-anxiety drug Ativan at the time of his death, a medication which some medical communities have linked to suicidal thoughts and impaired judgement. Like many rock stars, Cornell struggled with substance abuse issues in the past: the rock star once revealed that he started doing drugs on a daily basis at age 13, according to The Sun. Cornell seemingly kicked his drug habit by 2007, two years after he married Vicky Karayiannis, saying her realized that being sober is “better.” Cornell admitted that going to rehab did help him, and it seemed as though he had planned to live a sober life.

Vicky Cornell details her final conversation with her husband

In a statement about her husband’s death, Vicky Cornell revealed that she spoke to her husband shortly after his Detroit show and that she noticed he was slurring his words. Vicky also said that Chris told her he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, and when she couldn’t reach him by phone a little while later she asked hotel security to check on him.

Chris Cornell’s wife said she has no doubt that her husband loved their three children, respectively 16, 12, and 11 years old, and that he “would not hurt them intentionally by taking his own life.” Vicky described Chris was a devoted family man who always put his wife and kids before his music. The heartbroken Cornell family hopes that further medical details will help explain help explain exactly what happened to Chris.

A few hours before his final show, Chris Cornell even talked to his wife about their plans for Memorial Day weekend. Vicki Cornell said a few hours later, after the Soundgarden concert ended, she spoke to him again and that is when he seemed different and was talking with slurred speech.