Chester Bennington’s son slams Linkin Park for making Emily Armstrong lead vocalist
Chester Bennington’s son, Jaime Bennington, has slammed Linkin Park’s decision to begin producing music with a new lead vocalist, Emily Armstrong.
The rock band Linkin Park has been on hiatus since 2017, when lead vocalist Bennington passed away from suicide. However, the band recently surprised fans with the announcement of its reunion. Band members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Joe Hahn, and Dave Farrell have returned, while the band has welcomed Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain. Unfortunately, only hours after the reunion announcement, the band was embroiled in controversy due to allegations against Armstrong. Armstrong has ties to Scientology and was accused by Cedric Bixler-Zavala of supporting and being friends with convicted rapist Danny Masterson. Linkin Park has failed to release a public statement about the controversy, but Armstrong did issue a brief statement.
In her statement, she stated that she went to Masterson’s early hearing because she was asked to and considered him “a friend.” She admitted attending the hearing was a “mistake” and that she “misjudged him.” Armstrong concluded that she doesn’t condone abuse and empathizes with victims. However, Chrissie Bixler slammed Armstrong’s apology, accusing her of still supporting the Church of Scientology, which she describes as a “cult.” She also accused Armstrong of being more involved with Masterson and the intimidation of his victims than her apology indicated. Now, Bennington’s son is weighing in on the ongoing controversy.
Jaime Bennington slams Linkin Park and Emily Armstrong
Recently, Jaime took to his Instagram Story to confirm he does not support Linkin Park’s decision to replace his father with Armstrong. It’s important to note that Jaime has his own fair share of controversies, including spreading conspiracy theories about Bennington’s death. Hence, it appears he already had a falling out with the band prior to the news of its reunion, which may have exacerbated his anger. However, he still does make several good points about how Linkin Park may have gone about the replacement in the wrong manner.
In his statement, he lists three reasons why he and Linkin Park fans are upset by the replacement of Bennington. His first point describes how Shinoada hired Armstrong to replace Bennington while knowing her “history in the church and her history as an ally to Danny Masterson.” Secondly, he claimed Linkin Park “quietly erased” Bennington’s “life and legacy in real time” during International Suicide Prevention Month. In his last point, he slammed Linkin Park for not even releasing a “clarifying statement” about the controversy Armstrong is involved in, as well as for allegedly not acknowledging Bennington’s family in the reunion process. In another Instagram video, he claimed that the band didn’t approach him with the announcement.
Jaime concluded that Linkin Park “betrayed the trust” of their fans and handled the situation “disrespectfully.” He also clarified that the band reunion wasn’t the point of his anger and that the band could potentially remedy the situation by simply acknowledging Armstrong’s controversy and attempting to make things right. However, Jaime also included a few strange accusations against the band, including that they “groom” their fanbase and were supposed to conduct an interview to “clear the air about certain aspects” of their history. His past conspiracy theories and these more outlandish accusations may explain why the band isn’t in contact with him.
With that being said, he is still Bennington’s son, and Bennington’s whole family deserved to be notified ahead of the announcement. Additionally, he is correct that Linkin Park’s fanbase is owed a statement from the band about the Armstrong situation. Bennington was open about being a survivor of abuse, acknowledging it played into his struggles with substance abuse later in life. His story inspired countless individuals by raising abuse and mental health awareness.
Given his powerful legacy, it’s very concerning he has been replaced by someone accused of supporting an abuser. As the accusations continue to contest Armstrong’s account and suggest she was more involved in Masterson’s case than she claims, it’s strange that the band has simply continued moving towards its new album release without a statement to offer any clarity to concerned fans.
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