Linkin Park’s return with new vocalist Emily Armstrong has sparked controversy, with Chester Bennington’s son, Jaime Bennington, accusing Mike Shinoda of “quietly erasing my father’s life and legacy in real time.”
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Jaime aired his grievances on social media following the band’s Sept. 5 livestream event, where Armstrong, formerly of Dead Sara, was introduced as the band’s new co-lead vocalist.
The announcement followed weeks of speculation as Linkin Park teased fans with a countdown before revealing Armstrong as their new singer. They also released a new track, “The Emptiness Machine,” from their upcoming album From Zero, which debuted at No. 24 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay list.
Armstrong joins the band following the passing of Chester Bennington in 2017.
While many fans welcomed the band’s new chapter, others expressed concerns about the band’s new volcalist’s past ties to Scientology and her previous association with convicted rapist Danny Masterson.
In response to the backlash, Armstrong issued a statement on Sept. 6 via Instagram to address the controversy.
“Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance and went to one early hearing as an observer. Soon after, I realized I shouldn’t have. I have never spoken with him since,” she wrote. “To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes.”
Despite Armstrong’s explanation, Jaime Bennington was deeply critical of Shinoda’s decision to bring her into the band.
He said via Instagram on Sept. 9, “You hired your friend of many years, Emily Armstrong, to replace Chester… knowing Emily’s history in the church and her history as an ally to Danny Masterson.”
Jaime did not hold back, accusing Shinoda of ignoring the impact this decision might have on the band’s fanbase, particularly those affected by sexual violence.
“You quietly erase[d] my father’s life and legacy in real time… during international suicide prevention month and refuse to acknowledge the impact of hiring someone like Emily, without so much as a clarifying statement on the variety of victims that make up your core fan base,” Jaime said.
His criticisms didn’t stop there. He added, “You betrayed the trust loaned to you by decades of fans and supporting human beings including myself. We trusted you to be the bigger, better person. To be the change. Because you promised us that was your intention. Now you’re just senile and tone deaf.”
At the time of writing, neither Shinoda nor the band has publicly responded to Jaime Bennington’s comments.
Chester, who joined the band in 1999, became an icon with the release of their debut album Hybrid Theory in 2000, followed by the highly successful Meteora (2003). His sudden death in 2017 left a deep void, both in the band and among fans.
In a recent cover interview with Billboard, Shinoda spoke about the challenges of moving forward without Chester.
“Emily was always going to be able to hit the notes and scream the parts,” Shinoda said, but he also recognized that the change would take time for fans to accept. “It’ll be a question of, ‘How does it land with people?’ And I don’t know how it will. But I know that, when I hear it, I love it.”
Shinoda reflected on the band’s journey to creating their upcoming album, From Zero. “We didn’t know how far we would get in our efforts. This has been years of struggling to understand what it can and should be.”
From Zero will mark the band’s first album One More Light, released two months prior to Bennington’s death. The set launched at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart in June 2017 and has earned 1 million equivalent album units to date.
Linkin Park’s first performance with Armstrong is scheduled for Sept. 11 in Los Angeles. As From Zero is set to be released on Nov. 15.
