Courtney: Use of Kurt Cobain image despicable

Courtney Love has lashed out against the use of her late husband Kurt Cobain's image in a Dr. Martens ad campaign, according to People. A representative for the singer and actress told the magazine, "Courtney had no idea this was taking place and would never have approved such a use. She thinks it's outrageous that a company is allowed to commercially gain from such a despicable use of her husband's picture." The ad, which was created for the U.K., shows Cobain dressed as an angel and sitting on a heavenly cloud while wearing Dr. Martens boots. Similar images of dead rock stars Joey Ramone, the Clash's Joe Strummer and the Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious were also part of the campaign.

Love's rep added, "It does appear that in the U.K. what Dr. Martens has done is allowed. Courtney did not, and would not, approve of such a use of Kurt's name and likeness."

Meanwhile, the controversy over the images seems to have fizzled, since the ads are apparently not actually running. Dr. Martens fired the agency behind the campaign, Saatchi & Saatchi, and issued a press release stating that the concept was never approved and "runs counter to our current marketing activities."
Cobain, frontman for Nirvana, killed himself with a shotgun in 1994. Love and Cobain were married in 1992 and had one daughter, Frances Bean.
Love recently announced that she plans to auction off many of Cobain's belongings, with most of the proceeds going to charity.