Cornell to Cop: Keep Away!

12/14/2007 11:00 AM, E! Online
Josh Grossberg

Somebody knows his name all right, but in this case, that's not a good thing.

Former Audioslave and Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell is seeking a restraining order against a man for allegedly stalking the rocker and his family.

The motion, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims Cornell's ex-wife, Susan Silver, hired a former sheriff's deputy named Matt Turner to shadow Cornell, current missus Vicky and their two children, Tori, 3, and Christopher, 2.

"Petitioners...are being harassed, stalked and spied-on by an individual who most recently broke into their home carrying a gun," reads the petition.

The grunge icon alleges that, all told, Turner—"under the guise of being a process server"—broke into the Cornells' Los Angeles residence on at least three occasions.

The first came in September 2006, when Turner and another man wandered through various rooms, not realizing Vicky was in the home bathing their children at the time, the petition states.

After one of the children spotted the interloper, Cornell's wife locked herself and the kids in the bathroom and dialed 911. At that point, per court documents, "the intruder ran toward the bathroom, and banged on the bathroom door, yelling violent and terrifying threats against Vicky and her family." Vicky and the kids got out by climbing through a bathroom window and ran to a neighbor's house.

Another break-in occurred on June 7, 2007, when Turner admitted telling police he showed up at Cornell's home to supposedly serve papers on behalf of Silver on several occasions that day and night and peered through the windows.

Two days later, Turner was back again and carrying a concealed weapon, according to the court documents. He was stopped by one of Cornell's security guards and ordered to leave the premises. He allegedly identified himself as a retired sheriff and flashed his badge. He refused repeated requests to leave, per court papers, and even "had the audacity to urinate in the Cornells' home." The break-in was recorded on security cameras.

On Dec. 3, the Cornells returned home from a tour to discover someone tripped an alarm, then fled before police arrived. While Turner was explicitly implicated in the last incident, Cornell decided to finally seek a keep-away order.

In court papers, Cornell expresses fears that Silver might send Turner with a loaded gun onto his property again to frighten them.

The "Spoonman" crooner contends his onetime spouse had sent him "numerous threatening and terrifying death threats."

"The threats are of a personal nature, and even threaten to harm Chris and Vicky's son in a disturbing manner," the petition continues. "The Cornell family lives in a constant state of fear from these threats."

Because the threats "are so specific, alarming, and menacing," the Los Angeles Police Department's Threat Management Unit has subsequently launched an investigation into the matter, the petition states.

On the recommendation of authorities, the family moved to a new residence, purchased under a different name. But due to an "unethical breach by her attorney," the petition claims, Silver managed to track down Cornell, and the harassment started up again.

The rocker is requesting a judge to prohibit Turner from coming within 100 yards of the Cornells for a period of three years.

Silver and Turner could not be reached for comment.

Silver managed Cornell's pioneering grunge band, Soundgarden, as well as fellow Seattle band Alice in Chains. The couple split in 2002 after 12 years of marriage and by all accounts it was hardly amicable.

In a 2005 lawsuit, Cornell claimed Silver conspired to divert money that belonged to Cornell to other Soundgarden bandmembers. The complaint also asserted that Silver held Cornell's library of music, lyrics and two Grammys hostage.

Following his departure from Audioslave in February, Cornell has been on the road in support of his second solo album, Carry On.