Did Courtney Love's Daughter Face Domestic Violence?

Frances Bean Cobain is protected against her mother Courtney Love by a temporary restraining order – but why?

Although attorneys have revealed few details in the case, court documents released Wednesday speak generally of "personal problems in the family" and more specifically of "domestic violence."

There's no elaboration, and these disclosures came in a motion to seal documents in the case in which the court has stripped Love of legal control of her 17-year-old daughter with the late Kurt Cobain and appointed the teen's grandmother and aunt as temporary guardians.

Since the case was made public, Love, 45, has posted a number of bizarre and rambling messages on her Facebook page, but her attorney has insisted the singer has not suffered a drug relapse and that the case "is simply about Frances preferring to live with her grandmother."

According to the new court papers, lawyers for the guardians – Cobain's mother Wendy O'Connor and his sister Kimberly Dawn Cobain – argue the case should proceed in private to protect Frances.

"The merits of this motion cannot be fully argued here without disclosing the contents of the documents to be sealed," the papers say.

But the papers were filed under the heading "motion to seal all documents … relating to a minor and allegations of domestic violence." Among those documents are Frances's medical records, according to the filing.

Jim Janovich, an attorney for Love, says: "The only reason that was mentioned" – domestic violence – "was for the purpose of ensuring a sealing of the case. I'm not going to comment on that issue because we're trying to handle this in a way that's best suited so that Frances doesn't suffer."

Later, the papers say that a temporary restraining order was issued on Dec. 11 "restraining the minor's mother, Courtney Love Cobain, from certain behavior and from coming within a certain distance of Frances or her guardians."

"The very fact that a guardianship proceeding is pending while her mother is living is an indication of personal problems in the family," the papers say. Elsewhere, they add, "In this proceeding, every document reveals details of Frances's relationship with her mother."


Posted By: Lacy
PEOPLE