The guitar Frances Bean Cobain lost in divorce settlement

After being tangled up in a messy divorce the last two years, Frances Bean Cobain and ex-husband Isaiah Silva have finally reached a property settlement agreement, according to TMZ. Per the terms of the agreement, Silva is now entitled to Kurt Cobain’s famous MTV Unplugged guitar, which had been passed through the hands of various family members.

The rightful owner of the guitar had long been a point of contention throughout the former couple’s divorce proceedings. Silva claimed Frances gave the 1959 Martin D-18E to him as a present. For her part, Frances denied ever relinquishing the instrument to him.



In addition to its monetary value — it’s estimated to be worth millions of dollars — the guitar is said to be only one of 300 made at the time and supposedly the last one the Nirvana frontman played before his passing. It was also meant to stay within the family.

“It’s not his to take,” Frances’ mother, Courtney Love, previously told TMZ when asked about Silva’s claims to the instrument. She then went on to call the guitar a “treasured heirloom” and said Frances “never planned” on giving it away for good.

TMZ says that Frances “wants to move on” from the divorce, even if that means giving up the guitar and all the sentimentality attached to it. Frances — herself an aspiring musician with at least one impressive original track under her belt — isn’t walking away from the divorce completely empty handed, though, as she gets to keep the house she and Silva bought together.