The widow of the late Chris Cornell says her husband’s dead was “not inevitable” and blamed his addiction for his untimely death.

The Soundgarden singer died in 2017, and since then his wife Vicky Cornell has become an advocate about drug abuse. Vicky attended a panel discussion at the United Nations headquarters last Thursday about the opioid epidemic.

She shared her story about the Audioslave vocalist being in recovery from addiction from alcohol and opioids.

“I lost my husband, my children lost their amazing father, and the world lost a bright light to an entirely preventable and treatable disease,” she said.

“Although I supported my husband in his recovery, there was so much I didn’t know,” she continued. “Since his tragic death, I have committed myself to learning about brain science… and to learning about treatment and recovery. And I just wish that I only knew then what I know now.”

She continued to discuss Chris’ relapse and how his death was preventable.

“I’d like to clarify that his death was not inevitable. A lot of times people will say, ‘Yes, but you couldn’t have done [anything], and you couldn’t… And I’m not talking about self-blame. But I’m saying, no, he should not have died. There were no demons that took over,” she said.

Check out the full video of Vicky’s story below.

Chris passed in May 2017 at the age of 52. He was found in a Detroit hotel room and his death has been ruled a suicide.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, there is help to be found. Please consider these online resources and talk to your regular doctor about your symptoms: