Courtney Love cancelled a scheduled appearance on TFI Friday last week after Chris Evans refused to agree to abide by a list of interview restrictions totalling 17 pages. However, Love says the reason she refused to appear on the show was because she was not allowed to appear with Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur.
Love flew into the UK on Wednesday, September 2, specifically to appear on the show. But when presented with the list of restrictions TFI Friday producers sent them back calling them “unworkable”. Chris Evans told listeners about the arguments going on behind the scenes on his Friday morning Virgin Radio show. He said: “She’s (Courtney) been kicking up a fuss over the last 24 hours about coming on TFI Friday tonight. I was back in the office at 9pm last night and I was on the phone to her American lawyers. They sent me a 17-page document I had to sign saying what I could and couldn’t ask her. I’ve never signed anything like that in my life.
“Courtney Love’s supposed to be so rock’n’roll and before she comes on your show you’ve got to sign a 17-page document saying you will not ask her about her dyed roots, you will not refer to her band’s animals.”
A spokeswoman for TFI Friday told NME: “There was a misunderstanding.Courtney Love was under the impression that she’d be interviewed with Melissa from Hole and also her solicitor sent that big document which we sent back as unacceptable. At 10am on Friday we still hadn’t heard a definite response from Courtney Love so we decided to pull her from the show because she couldn’t make her mind up.”
NME tracked down Courtney Love at her London hotel where she said: “He wouldn’t take me with at least one other band member so I wouldn’t do the show. If it’s about a film, and it’s really short, then I’m alright on the small screen but if it’s about Hole, then we’re a band… “Y’know, if we get questions like, ‘So what’s ‘Celebrity Skin’ about?’, it’s a band question. And if there are other questions about other stuff, well, I can be funny but not on my own.” Melissa Auf Der Maur added: “He does take multiple guests but he just wouldn’t take us.” When asked if Chris Evans was part of a bigger problem where people were only interested in her rather than the band, she replied: “What is he? Barbara fucking Walters now? I’ll just hold the line and it’ll happen.”