Kurt Cobain Bombshell: Cousin Reveals Dark Family Secret Behind His Suicide
Feb. 17 2017, Updated 8:59 p.m. ET
Grunge pioneer Kurt Cobain's shattered childhood and an addiction to drugs and heroin paved the way for his suicide, RadarOnline has exclusively learned.
The shocking revelation comes in an explosive interview with a Cobain family member, featured in the new Reelz series Autopsy: The Last Hours of Kurt Cobain.
"The whole Cobain family was dysfunctional. I'm talking all of us," cousin Bev Cobain said. "The dysfunctional part was I think that he was living with parents who were using more alcohol than normal, and it's hard for you to be a happy little kid if you're growing up in a family that is fighting and don't really know how to raise children."
Kurt's parents separated when he was only nine years old. In a rare audio recording from 1993, discovered by the Autopsy special, Kurt opened up about his family.
"I was ashamed of my parents," he admitted. "I couldn't face some of my friends at school because I desperately wanted to have the classic, typical family. Mother, father. I wanted that security."
So, to cope with his loneliness, he turned to music. And the music led to an addiction to heroin.
"Music saved Kurt," said investigative journalist Ian Halperin. "I think it was the only way he knew to express his feelings. I really do think it was therapeutic for him."
Kurt was the front man for the multi-platinum band, Nirvana. His original and inventive music helped define the industry for years to come. But as RadarOnline has reported, in April 1994, he was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head. He was just 27.
Learn more secrets about the life, death, and legacy of the prince of grunge on Autopsy: The Last Hours of Kurt Cobain, airing Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8pm ET/ PT on Reelz. And watch a sneak peek above!