Courtney Love needs to clean up her act – again

By Katie Mavrich

All good things must come to an end: Courtney Love has ended her calmer days and is creating… All good things must come to an end: Courtney Love has ended her calmer days and is creating a media buzz with her recent antics.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ On Oct. 2, she was arrested after standing outside of ex-boyfriend James Barber’s house throwing rocks at the windows at 2 a.m. She was charged with being under the influence of narcotics. With this, her most recent downward spiral began.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ According to the Oct. 17 issue of People Magazine, Love posted the $2,500 bail that night and went home. She then overdosed on OxyContin just a few hours later, which she says she took to ‘knock herself out.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ As a result of these events, Love is now fighting to regain custody of the daughter she had with late singer Kurt Cobain, 11-year-old Frances Bean Cobain. Frances Bean has been bounced around from Kurt’s mom, Wendy O’Connor, back to the home she shares with Love. Love has been ordered to move out while her stepfather, Frank Rodriguez, a nanny and an aunt take care of her. While Love has been permitted frequent visits, the detachment has left her damn near suicidal.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ She is reported to have left messages on various friends’ answering machines saying things like, ‘I want to die,’ and ‘I want to jump off of the Empire State Building,’ according to an Oct. 24 story on MTV.com.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ What the hell, Courtney? You have had a pretty messed-up life, and despite everything, here you are. After Kurt’s tragic suicide in April 1994, followed by Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff’s overdose that same June, you were at rock bottom. Two people who were very close to you were ripped suddenly from your life. We wondered how much longer you were going to hold on to your own life.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ It wasn’t easy, but you picked up the pieces. Hole’s 1995 performance on ‘MTV Unplugged’ was emotional and, I am sure, difficult to do. You cleaned yourself up and went on to star in ‘The People vs. Larry Flynt.’ You wore designer gowns. Your hair was sleek and smooth and there was barely a trace of make-up on your face. You were mature. You were sophisticated. In 1998, with Hole, you released Celebrity Skin, a calmer album that sounded so different from anything that you and your band had previously done.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ You were back and better than ever. The headlines you were making were all positive. And then we didn’t hear much about you until you decided that you were going to record a solo album. Props to you — it’s about time that the world gets to hear the solo work of Miss Courtney Love.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ So what happened? Your five-year relationship with Barber isn’t worth this crap — if that was the impetus for it. You have an angelic daughter who is getting more and more beautiful each year. Despite the tragic events of her life so far, she’s a seemingly normal pre-teen. I understand how much it must hurt to not have her in your custody, but for God’s sake, don’t let your emotions get the best of you and mess up your chances of showing the courts what a good mother you, in fact, are.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ She needs you, and you need her. This isn’t the first time you have had to fight for custody of her. You have proven to the world that you are capable of overcoming life’s difficulties. Do it again. You are stronger now than you were in 1994. Believe it or not, you are a better person now than you were then.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ I’m going to be a bit selfish and say that I am pretty pissed off that, because of what has been going on, the release of your solo debut, America’s Sweetheart, has been postponed until February.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ I want to hear your new music. I want you to get your daughter back. And most important to me, the rest of your fans and your friends and family, I want you to live. Don’t make the same mistake Kurt did.