Frances Bean Cobain’s Ex Sues Courtney Love, Claims She Tried to Kill Him to Get Kurt’s Guitar Back
Frances Bean Cobain’s ex-husband is claiming her mother, Courtney Love, conspired to have him killed in order to get her husband’s iconic guitar back.
Isaiah Silva is suing Love, her manager Sam Lutfi, 13 Reasons Why actor Ross Butler, John Nazarian — a private investigator — and musician Michael Schenk among others for conspiring to kill him with the intent of stealing the Nirvana frontman’s guitar, according to a copy of the civil complaint obtained by PEOPLE.
Silva is also alleging the group engaged in burglary, robbery, sexual battery, kidnapping, attempted murder, criminal threats, false imprisonment, extortion, stalking intentional infliction of emotional distress and trespass.
The musician got to keep the 1959 Martin guitar that Cobain played during 1993’s MTV Unplugged performance as part of his divorce settlement with Bean Cobain. Cobain died a year following his performance of suicide.
A rep for Love, who has yet to file an answer to the complaint, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Silva claims in his lawsuit that Lutfi, Butler and Yan Yukhtman “entered into a criminal conspiracy to commit trespass, burglary, home invasion robbery, assault, battery, kidnapping, and murder” against him in order to take the guitar on the morning of June 3.
He also claims they were going to kidnap him from his home to “end any potential legal claims [he] may have to the Curson property, the Willoughby Trust and any spousal support,” according to his complaint.
Silva alleges Nazarian and Schenk “did assault and cause physical injury to Silva’s mother while in Silva’s presence and with the intent of terrorizing and intimidating Silva.”
Reps for Nazarian, Schenk and Yuhktman did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Lutfi currently manages Love, according to IMDb. Lutfi did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Silva alleges Lutfi grabbed his genitals through his pants and said: “Listen faggot, calm the fuck down or we’ll drag you upstairs and take turns fucking you.”
The trio allegedly forced him out of his home and into a black Cadillac Escalade. A friend of Silva’s, who was in the home when the trio entered it, called the police. When police arrived, Lutfi “hurriedly concocted a false story intended to prevent LAPD from arresting them,” Silva said in his complaint.
He alleged Lutfi threatened the lives of his mother and 7-year-old daughter Arlo, from a previous relationship.
He also claims Lutfi was providing Love and his ex with illegal drugs including “illicit benzodiazepines.” Silva alleges Butler, who also acted in season 1 of the CW’s Riverdale, “acted as a courier for illicit drugs supplied to Love and Cobain” and who couldn’t be questioned by police “because he fled to Canada.”
A rep for Butler did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
It is not clear what damages Silva is seeking.
Earlier this month, Bean Cobain lost her father’s iconic Martin guitar in her divorce settlement to Silva, who claimed the model gave him the guitar as a present.
Despite her request for the judge to keep the guitar in her family, Silva was ultimately left as the owner.
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Bean Cobain has been dating Matthew Cook since last fall, sharing Instagram photos and videos of him during their time together.
