The Rome Incident - By Frances Barnett

Kurt returned to Seattle on March 12th with Courtney.

Seattle police were called to the Lake Washington Blvd home on March 18th . Courtney claimed Kurt was suicidal. When the police arrived at the house, Kurt told them in very plain and easy to understand terms that he was not suicidal, but that he was trying to keep away from Courtney. This can be seen in the report. Courtney then retracted her claim to the police that Kurt had threatened suicide. The police give her a warning about the false call, confiscate Kurt's guns for his protection, and leave.

According to some sources, a fight about a new Lexus vehicle took place between Kurt and Courtney on March 22nd. She bought it, Kurt didn't like it and insisted she return it.

According to Grant, Courtney called one of their attorneys, Rosemary Carroll and told her to get the "meanest, most vicious divorce lawyer" she could find. Courtney also asked Rosemary if their prenuptial agreement could be voided.

Kurt called Rosemary too. He hadn't completed his Will. He told Rosemary he wanted Courtney taken out of it. According to the nanny that worked there during these final weeks, "there was way too much Will talk". Courtney seemed to be obsessed about Kurt's Will.

On March 25th, Courtney stages an intervention. Dylan Carson, Nirvana bass player Krist Novoselic, guitarist Pat Smear and three of Nirvana's managers came to the house and took turns talking to him for five hours. Grant says that some of the people at this "intervention" were the same people Kurt had done drugs with . Some probably weren't exactly clean themselves at the time.

Courtney left Seattle for the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills the next day on March 26th.

According to Dave Thompson's "Never Fade Away" book, Kurt got on the internet (America Online) and posted the following message: "I'm still pretty freaked over the Rome thing, and need some time to rest and get over it. You'd think they could make a good milkshake, but no." This was posted on March 29th.

On March 30th, Kurt and his best friend Dylan Carlson, go to Stan Baker Sports and purchased a shotgun . Kurt told Dylan he was afraid of intruders at the house. The shotgun was a Remington Model 11 20-gauge , set up for light load. This is what gun dealers often recommend for home protection because the shot won't penetrate walls and endanger those on the other side. Kurt took the shotgun to his house so it would be there when he got back from rehab.

It should be noted that Carlson was at the intervention just 5 days earlier. He later told Grant that he didn't believe Kurt was suicidal, otherwise he wouldn't have agreed to buy this shotgun for him. More documented quotes like this from Dylan and other friends & family can be read in Kurt Was Not Suicidal by Frances Barnett.

Kurt then leaves Seattle and goes to the Exodus Recovery Center, a detox clinic in Los Angeles, where he stayed for about 2 days.