Frances Bean in divorce battle for Kurt Cobain Unplugged guitar

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Frances Bean Cobain locked in battle with estranged ex to reclaim iconic guitar once owned by late father Kurt Cobain

Cobain with the Martin D-18E guitar
Cobain with the Martin D-18E guitar (Image credit: Getty)

The last guitar that late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain ever played, and the one he also used on the band’s MTV Unplugged set, is at the centre of a divorce case.

Cobain’s daughter Frances Bean filed for divorce from husband Isaiah Silva earlier this year after tying the knot in 2014.

According to TMZ, he claims the acoustic-electric Martin D-18E was given to him as a wedding present, but Frances Bean refutes that and is seeking to reclaim the instrument, which was once insured for $1 million.

Frances Bean’s mother Courtney Love tells TMZ: “It’s not his – it’s a treasured heirloom of the family. It’s not his to take.”

And when pressed about why the guitar has special significance, Love adds: “It’s the last guitar he ever played.”

The Brett Morgan-directed film Montage Of Heck, which documented Cobain’s life, was released last year.

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Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.