She had her own struggles with addiction and mental health, just like her father.
Kurt Cobain's death broke the heart of millions but at the time, his and Courtney Love's 20-months-old daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, was oblivious to the fact that her dad was never going to hold her in his arms again. Rock band Nirvana's frontman was just 27 years old when he took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot.
Now, Frances who is just a year older than Kurt was when he ended his life, says that although the two didn't get enough time to spend with each other, there's not a moment when she is not reminded of her father. The American visual artist, model, and musician was at the Museum of Style Icons' Growing Up Kurt Cobain exhibition in Ireland back in 2018 when she opened up about her relationship with her late father.
Kurt's sketches, clothing, hand-written letters, drawings, and the only car he owned (a powder blue 1965 Dodge Dart) was part of the display. Talking about the singer's favorite rubber toy monkey named "Chim Chim" which he carried along with him everywhere he went, Frances said that it is her favorite too. "I thought my mom [Courtney Love] had lost it and when I walked in I was happy to see it," reported The Daily Mail.
Opening up about the relationship she shares with her late father, the 28-year-old lamented, "He's unavoidable in my life, I see a Nirvana shirt every day. My dynamic with Kurt is probably more similar to a fan's dynamic as there's almost like an untouchable thing. All the information I have [about him] is from stories. He's there every day of my life."
Even though she never knew him and all she's heard are stories about her father from different people, the visual artist still wishes Kurt was around when she truly needs him. "On some days it feels a little frustrating, like I've had emotional breakdowns in Ubers and he's come on [the radio] and I've been like, 'I needed you so much right now.' It plays out on different days in different ways," she added.
Frances, just like her mum and dad, has had her fair share of struggle with addiction about which she confessed during an interview with Rolling Stone. Talking about her recovery, she divulged, "Self-destruction and toxic consumption and deliverance from pain is a lot easier to adhere to."
"Undeniably, for myself and those around me becoming present is the best decision I have ever made. How we treat our bodies directly correlates to how we treat our souls. It’s all interconnected. It has to be."
Kurt and Love's relationship was brief and intense. According to Biography, just four months after dating, Love got pregnant with Frances and the love birds got married in 1992. After marriage, Kurt lost all desire to tour and started keeping to himself. The Hole frontwoman confessed to Vanity Fair in 1992, as cited by Biography, that they "binged" on drugs for a while.
In 2015, while promoting Kurt's biopic Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, Love added, "He wanted to stay in the apartment and do heroin and paint and play his guitar. That's what he wanted to do." Frances was the film's executive.
In 1992, after Love got pregnant with their daughter, the couple tried to get sober but their attempts were in vain. Within days, they checked out of detox programs and went down the lane of addiction once again. After Frances' birth in August, Kurt considered quitting the band but couldn't, neither the band nor his drug habits.
The film footage portrayed the talented singer's gradual downfall into self-destruction as well, reported Biography. In one scene he can be seen nodding his head while Frances is getting her first haircut. Love can be heard screaming off-camera, "Kurt, you don't want your daughter to see you behaving like this, on drugs," to which Kurt replies, "I'm not on drugs! I'm tired."
TVGuide reported that Kurt and Love's marriage was crumbling because more than real love, it was riled by drugs. When Love once told the singer that she was "considering having an affair" Kurt lost it and went into a coma after overdosing on 67 Rohypnol.
Kurt's crumbling marriage was not the only problem, his fight with his inner struggles and his inability to embrace the newfound fame played a major role in pushing the musician to take the tragic decision. In a heartrending interview, Kurt's mother, Wendy O'Connor confronted the star regarding his addiction, "He burst into tears. He was just ashamed."
It's not just the fans who remember Kurt, his daughter feels the pain of not being able to know her father, who inspired many to become musicians.
References:
https://www.tvguide.com/news/montage-heck-kurt-cobain-courtney-love-marriage/
