Linkin Park’s new lead vocalist, Emily Armstrong, called out for supporting Danny Masterson
Excitement over Linkin Park’s return was short-lived after its new lead vocalist, Scientologist Emily Armstrong, was accused of supporting convicted rapist (and fellow Scientologist) Danny Masterson.
The rock band Linkin Park has been on hiatus since the loss of their former lead vocalist, Chester Bennington, in 2017. Via a livestream showcase, the band announced their reunion, in which they debuted their new single, “The Emptiness Machine.” The band now consists of returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix, and Joe Hahn, as well as new lead vocalist Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain. Linkin Park has also set the release of its new album, From Zero, for November 15. Although the news was surprising, many celebrated Linkin Park’s return, especially as Armstrong’s vocals are reminiscent of Bennington.
Armstrong is an experienced musician who founded the rock band Dead Sara. At first, she appeared to be an ideal choice for Link Park’s new vocalist. However, concerning allegations have arisen about her support of Masterson.
Emily Armstrong’s alleged past controversies resurface
Armstrong has come under scrutiny after rumors arose that she’s a Scientologist who defended Masterson during his rape trial. Masterson, who starred in That ’70s Show, was a prominent member of the Church of Scientology when he was accused of raping three women. The Church has been accused of desperately trying to interfere in the court case and silence the victims, contributing to it taking decades for Masterson to be brought to justice. It was accused of going as far as to launch an extensive harassment and stalking campaign against the victims to intimidate them into silence.
Mars Volta’s lead singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, is quite close to the case, as his wife, Chrissie Carnell, is one of Masterson’s victims. The pair used to belong to the Church of Scientology but have since departed and become vocal critics of it. During the trial, their dog was killed after eating poisoned meat someone threw into their yard. He has accused the Church of being behind the incident as part of its harassment campaign against Carnell. Now, Bixler-Zavala is accusing Armstrong of being among Masterson’s many supporters within the Church. It’s an accusation he made over a year ago in a comment on one of Dead Sara’s Instagram posts. However, in light of the Linkin Park news, he reshared it on his Instagram story.
The comment pointed out how Armstrong showed up during the preliminary trial to support Masterson. He questioned how she continued to support the Church after it surrounded one of the victims in court and despite the homophobic teachings of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. He also asks, “Do your fans know about your friend Danny Masterson? Your rapist friend.”
It is true that Armstrong is, or at least was, a member of the Church of Scientology. Social media users pointed to Getty Images, in which she was seen posing with Bixler-Zavala at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre 44th Anniversary Gala in 2013. More recently, a 2020 article from The Underground Bunker covering Masterson’s trial stated that Armstrong was present. She was described as one of his “longtime friends,” who had gathered outside the courtroom to support him.
Although it’s confirmed Armstrong has ties to Scientology and had some sort of friendship with Masterson, some people have spoken up to defend her. They have pointed out, as Bixler-Zavala mentioned, she seems to have been born into Scientology, and there’s not much evidence she holds or has actively spread some of the Church’s more extreme views. On Reddit and X, users have claimed it matters that she didn’t demonstrate support for Masterson after the guilty verdict. However, these arguments echo the sentiments expressed by many of the celebrities who penned letters of support for Masterson. They used the excuse that they didn’t know Masterson was guilty or that he seemed like a “great guy” to excuse going out of their way to defend an alleged rapist.
The thing is, why would someone do anything to support anyone on trial for rape when they may very well be guilty? It doesn’t matter if Armstrong eventually broke off the friendship or only showed up to the preliminary trial. Her presence and support of Masterson demonstrated a lack of belief in the victims and a willingness to support an alleged rapist because he was her “friend.” It’s hard to tell how deep into Scientology she is and how close she really was to Masterson, but one can’t just look past her initial support of him. Fans of Linkin Park have found the news especially upsetting because Bennington was a survivor of sexual abuse, which contributed to his substance abuse and eventual death. It doesn’t seem right to replace a man whose bravery in speaking out about abuse touched numerous lives with a woman who doubted abuse survivors.
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