Axl Rose's legend is filled with several blow-outs on- and offstage, but the Guns N' Roses singer has sent a cease and desist letter to an L.A.-area artist set to present a photo of an allegedly Rose-penned piece of hateful graffiti.
Rose has cried foul over photographer Laura London's "Once upon a time ... Axl Rose was my neighbor" exhibit, which is set to open at Coagula Curatorial Saturday (September 29) in L.A. The key piece to the controversy is a photo of a garage door that features the spray-painted message: "Sweet Child O' Die!! You R 1 of many nothing special." The message is claimed to have been scrawled on Rose's garage years ago and to be a message directed towards his then-wife Erin Everly.
The cease and desist letter, which was obtained by TMZ, has Rose's lawyer stating that the claims are "outrageous, false, fabricated and highly defamatory," and wants the art show shut down.
"Mr. Rose never spray-painted anything," the letter reads. "Your salacious and inflammatory statements are plainly designed to garner attention and line your pockets with money."
Since receiving the letter, the description accompanying the photograph has apparently been changed, but the photo is still set to appear in the show. You can see the offending pic here.
The exhibit is described as exploring "the fine line between constructed narrative and documentary, private portraiture and celebrity posing, and, most intensely, melodrama juxtaposed with the all out rock and roll lifestyle."
UPDATE: As TMZ reports, Axl's ex, Erin Everly, has now sent the photographer a cease and desist letter of her own, saying Rose never tagged her house with the "Sweet Child O' Die." The letter, obtained by TMZ, states, "Ms. Everly unequivocally denies that Axl Rose ever painted those statements on her garage door."
Rose has cried foul over photographer Laura London's "Once upon a time ... Axl Rose was my neighbor" exhibit, which is set to open at Coagula Curatorial Saturday (September 29) in L.A. The key piece to the controversy is a photo of a garage door that features the spray-painted message: "Sweet Child O' Die!! You R 1 of many nothing special." The message is claimed to have been scrawled on Rose's garage years ago and to be a message directed towards his then-wife Erin Everly.
The cease and desist letter, which was obtained by TMZ, has Rose's lawyer stating that the claims are "outrageous, false, fabricated and highly defamatory," and wants the art show shut down.
"Mr. Rose never spray-painted anything," the letter reads. "Your salacious and inflammatory statements are plainly designed to garner attention and line your pockets with money."
Since receiving the letter, the description accompanying the photograph has apparently been changed, but the photo is still set to appear in the show. You can see the offending pic here.
The exhibit is described as exploring "the fine line between constructed narrative and documentary, private portraiture and celebrity posing, and, most intensely, melodrama juxtaposed with the all out rock and roll lifestyle."
UPDATE: As TMZ reports, Axl's ex, Erin Everly, has now sent the photographer a cease and desist letter of her own, saying Rose never tagged her house with the "Sweet Child O' Die." The letter, obtained by TMZ, states, "Ms. Everly unequivocally denies that Axl Rose ever painted those statements on her garage door."
