The recent changes in Linkin Park’s lineup have caused ripples of controversy, with Chester Bennington’s son, Jaime Bennington, leading the charge.
Following the band’s announcement of Emily Armstrong as their new co-lead vocalist, Jaime publicly slammed Mike Shinoda, accusing him of “quietly erasing” his father’s legacy.
The backlash began after Linkin Park introduced Armstrong, formerly of Dead Sara, during a livestream event on September 5th. Armstrong is set to be a key voice on the band’s upcoming album From Zero, and fans were also treated to the debut of the new track “The Emptiness Machine.”
However, while many celebrated the band’s fresh direction, Jaime Bennington voiced his disapproval, particularly over Armstrong’s controversial ties to Scientology and her past support of convicted rapist Danny Masterson.
“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 wrote on Instagram on September 9th.
Despite Armstrong’s attempts to address the controversy in a statement on her Instagram account, where she distanced herself from Masterson, Jaime continued to voice his anger. “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,” he wrote.
Jaime’s criticism didn’t stop at Armstrong’s involvement, as he also took aim at Shinoda’s handling of the situation. “You betrayed the trust loaned to you by decades of fans and supporting human beings, including myself,” Jaime added. “We trusted you to be the bigger, better person. Now you’re just senile and tone-deaf.”
Chester Bennington, who tragically passed away in 2017, left an indelible mark on the rock music scene. He joined Linkin Park in 1999, and the band’s debut album Hybrid Theory (2000) skyrocketed them to fame.
Chester’s raw vocals and emotional delivery became synonymous with the band’s sound, making his absence deeply felt by fans and bandmates alike.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Mike Shinoda spoke about the challenges of moving forward without Chester. “Now that we’re getting ready to do some shows, it’s been better than I imagined,” he said.
“Emily was always going to be able to hit the notes and scream the parts. 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.”
As the band prepares for their first performance with Armstrong on September 11th in Los Angeles, the tension surrounding this new chapter remains palpable. From Zero, set to release on November 15,th will be Linkin Park’s first album since One More Light (2017), the last album released with Chester Bennington.
At the time of writing, neither Mike Shinoda nor the rest of the band have publicly responded to Jaime Bennington’s comments.
