ABC/Randy Holmes

ABC/Randy HolmesChris Cornell‘s widow Vicky Cornell is suing the late musician band mates in Soundgarden over a series of unreleased recordings and unpaid royalties.

In the complaint, obtained by TMZ and Pitchfork, Vicky Cornell accuses guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron and bassist Ben Shepherd of using “strong-arm tactics” and “shamelessly conspir[ing] to wrongfully withhold hundreds of thousands of dollars” in royalties owed to her and Chris’ children.

The lawsuit centers around seven audio recordings that Chris Cornell made before his 2017 death. The suit claims that the recordings were “solely authored by Chris,” and were “bequeathed to Chris’ Estate for the benefit of his widow…and their minor children.”

According to the suit, Vicky Cornell offered Soundgarden the recordings provided that certain conditions were met, including that they be “released in a way that would respect [Chris’] legacy and wishes” and be finished with his “trusted producer involved in the process.”

That offer was apparently rejected by Soundgarden, which, the suit alleges, led to “strong-arm tactics by withholding royalties undeniably owed to Chris’ estate.” It also accuses the band members of making “false media statements.”

In a July interview with Music Radar, Thayil alluded to a conflict around the unreleased recordings, saying that he, Shepherd and Cameron have “asked nicely” for certain unreleased demos recorded prior to Chris Cornell’s death.

“We’ve suggested that this will benefit all parties,” Thayil said. “There seems to be some confusion amongst various parties as to what that would entail and how that works, and who that would benefit.”

In an Instagram post Monday, Vicky Cornell writes, “I will do justice by my husband’s work and memory; for our children and for everything we stood for.”

The members of Soundgarden have yet to publicly comment on the lawsuit.

Copyright © 2019, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.