Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen ‘in hole of substance abuse’ following death of Chris Cornell

Musician and former actor is currently frontwoman for band The Pretty Reckless

Taylor Momsen has revealed she fell into a “hole of utter depression and substance abuse” after the death of her mentor Chris Cornell.

The frontwoman for rock band The Pretty Reckless, who rose to fame as Cindy Lou-Who in The Grinch and Jenny Humphrey on the TV series Gossip Girl, was touring with Cornell’s band Soundgarden prior to his death.

Cornell died by suicide in 2017 at the age of 52.

“Opening for Soundgarden was the highest of highs for me,” Momsen told People Magazine. “So to have it end so tragically was crushing. We were there that night in Detroit [when Chris died] and spoke that evening. To wake up to the news that he had passed was such a shock. I was not equipped to handle that.”

Momsen added that her depression was exacerbated by the death of her longtime producer Keto Khandwala less than a year later. Khandwala, 47, was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Read more: Chris Cornell interview: ‘There’s always been a desire in me to keep the attention of a room full of people with just one stupid guitar and nothing else’

“When I got that phone call that he died, that was the nail in the coffin for me,” Momsen said. “I went into this hole of just utter depression and substance abuse. I was in a very unhealthy space.”

Momsen retired from acting in 2012 to focus full-time on her music career.

The Pretty Reckless have just released their fourth album, Death by Rock and Roll, which Momsen says is inspired by grief and finding joy in making music.