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TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 11: Musician/actor Chris Cornell and wife Vicky Karayiannis arrive at the premiere of "Machine Gun Preacher" at Roy Thomson Hall during the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2011 in Toronto, Canada.

Vicky Cornell, the widow of Chris Cornell, has taken very careful steps in talking about her late husband since his shocking suicide last year, and in her first TV interview since that tragedy, she opens up about his issues with addiction.

In a sit down with Robin Roberts, Vicky Cornell revealed that Chris Cornell had relapsed and points to a prescription of benzodiazepine for a painful shoulder injury as part of the cause.

“In retrospect, I’ve learned it’s not supposed to be given to anybody who’s in recovery, and if you have to give it they have to be closely monitored and they should not be given [the prescription] for more than two to three weeks,” said Vicky Cornell.  “So, he relapsed, and in a seven day period, he took 20-something pills, and then in a nine-day period, 33.”

Vicky Cornell also delves into addiction stigma and how it needs to be looked at as a disease and not a choice.

Good Morning America

TOMORROW ON GMA: "My husband was the furthest thing from a rockstar junkie..." Vicky Cornell, widow of late singer Chris Cornell, sits down with Robin Roberts. She's opening up on his battle with...

WATCH FULL INTERVIEW HERE

Video: Chris Cornell's widow says his battle with addiction led to his suicide

Vicky Cornell, the wife of the late rock star Chris Cornell, opened up about her husband's death in an emotional interview with ABC News' Robin Roberts.

 

Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.

Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock news blogger who's well versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice.