The law office representing Belissa Cohen, the journalist suing rocker/actress Courtney

Love for assault and battery, threatened further legal action in response to a remark the

Hole singer made last week, in which she stated that Cohen "just wants money and has

lithium problems."

Love made the remark in response to a question about Cohen's lawsuit, while speaking

at a podium in the MTV Video Music Awards press tent. The comments were made

shortly after Hole's performance of their new single,

HREF="http://www.addict.com/music/Hole/Celebrity_Skin.ram">"Celebrity Skin"

(RealAudio excerpt). "Belissa Cohen. Oh, she just wants money and has lithium

problems," Love said.

"We think that Ms. Love's statements about Ms. Cohen are outrageous, and we intend to

pursue all of our legal rights, including those which rise out of these statements," said

Gloria Allred, Cohen's lawyer, in a prepared statement on behalf of her law office, Allred,

Maroko and Goldberg. Allred would not elaborate on the statement or directly state

whether or not she plans to use the remark against Love in court.

Cohen said Friday, the day after the MTV Video Music Awards, that she was in the

press room at the time Love made the remark, but the journalist referred a request for comment to

Allred.

On Wednesday (Sept. 16), a representative for Love said the singer/actress had no

comment on either her own remarks or Allred's response to them, offering only a

comment on the case more generally.

"Belissa Cohen's claims were, and continue to be, meritless and [Love] will continue to

defend them," said the representative, who asked not to be named.

Filed in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this summer, Cohen's lawsuit claims that

Love kneed Cohen in the groin, pulled her hair and hit her in the face at a fashion show

in L.A. on April 21. Cohen is claiming assault, battery, negligence and intentional

infliction of emotional distress and is seeking general and punitive damages. The

amount of money sought for the damages will be announced at the trial, for which no

date has been set yet, Allred said.

"I was extremely frightened by the violence and viciousness of Ms. Love's physical attack

upon me in front of others at a crowded fashion show," Cohen said in June at a press

conference. "The attack caused me pain and a great deal of humiliation ... Ms. Love's

unwillingness to control herself put my health, safety and reputation at great risk, which is

unacceptable."

Love was her usually feisty self at the time she made the remark. The singer/guitarist

also commented on unfavorable reviews of the just-released Celebrity Skin. "All

three bad reviews were personal," she said.

"No testicles," Love cracked as she took the podium microphone, indicating she would

only accept questions from female journalists.

"This is fun, but I'm going to get [in] so much trouble," Love said at one point, pulling

bandmate Melissa Auf Der Maur toward the microphone and hiding behind the Hole

bassist.