AceShowbiz - A statue honouring late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) has been vandalised.

Officials at MoPOP released a statement confirming that the sculpture was recently targeted, as snaps were posted online showing the bronze statue covered in what appears to be white paint.

"We are deeply pained by this act targeting the memory of a beloved artist in Seattle and around the world," they said in a statement via The Seattle Times.

"We have notified appropriate authorities and have cordoned off the area so that professional conservators can assess the damage and develop a plan that will restore this important piece of public art without damaging it further."

Chris' wife, Vicky Cornell, commissioned the piece and donated it to the museum as a way to honour the late artist in his hometown. Taking to Instagram on Friday (21Aug20), Vicky admitted she and the couple's kids were "heartbroken" to learn of the act of vandalism.

"The statue is not only art, but a tribute to Chris, his incomparable musical legacy and everything that he stood for. It represents Chris, who is beloved not only in Seattle, but worldwide," Vicky captioned a picture of the statue.

"I'm so grateful to the fans who stood up to support and showed such immense love - after hearing about it, they made their way there in the middle of the night with supplies and tried to clean it up," she continued.

Vicky added that she and her kids "cried" upon learning of the destruction, but the fans' act of kindness in the aftermath was a reminder that there's "much more good" out there in the world. She confirmed the statue will be restored.

Chris died by suicide in May 2017 at the age of 52. The musician left behind three kids: daughter Toni, 15, and son, Christopher, 14, with Vicky, and daughter, Lillian, 20 with his ex Susan Silver.