Jaime Bennington, the son of Linkin Park’s late lead vocalist Chester Bennington, voiced out his disapproval over the announcement that Emily Armstrong will be the band’s new lead singer, describing it as an act of “erasing” his father’s legacy.
Jaime took to Instagram on Monday (Sept 9) to call out the rock band, specifically record producer Mike Shinoda, over their decision to welcome Armstrong as the new vocalist, saying that it “quietly erased his father’s life and legacy in real time... during international suicide prevention month.”
He lamented that the band appointed Armstrong despite her past controversies, including the latter being an ally to Danny Masterson, who was convicted of rape in 2023 and got sentenced to 30 years to life imprisonment.
Jaime explained that Linkin Park also “failed to address the concerns of their diverse fan base” and that the group’s recent actions had “betrayed the trust” of their supporters.
“What you’ve done is not something for people to acclimate to... You have betrayed the trust loaned to you by decades of fans and supporting human beings, including myself,” he stated. “We trusted you to be the bigger, better person. To be the change... Now you’re just senile and tone deaf.”
On Sept 6, one day after her appointment to the band, Armstrong issued a statement addressing her support for Masterson.
“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 realised I shouldn’t have,” she wrote, adding that she hasn’t connected with the rapist since.
“To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathise with the victims of these crimes.”
Armstrong made her debut with the band on Sept 5, as it announced its first album and supporting tour since Chester died in 2017 by suicide. – Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network
