Jaime Bennington, son of Chester Bennington, expressed that Mike Shinoda “betrayed the trust” of LINKIN PARK fans by reuniting the band with a new singer, alleging that Shinoda is “silently erasing [Chester Bennington‘s] legacy in real time.”
At first, fans welcomed LINKIN PARK‘s return with Emily Armstrong as the new vocalist. However, this enthusiasm was tempered when online discussions surfaced about Armstrong‘s alleged connections to Scientology and convicted rapist Danny Masterson.
THE MARS VOLTA frontman, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, had previously made public allegations about Armstrong‘s involvement. In response, Armstrong clarified that her connection to Masterson was limited to attending a court hearing as an observer at the request of a friend. She acknowledged that this was a mistake and expressed regret for her actions.
Jaime voiced his accusations on Instagram Stories, responding to a comment from Mike Shinoda, who mentioned that some fans might need “time to wrap their heads around” LINKIN PARK starting a new chapter with Armstrong.
“Hey Mike! People aren’t having a difficult time wrapping their head around the prospect of LINKIN PARK reinventing itself,” Jaime wrote on his Instagram Stories. “They are having a hard time wrapping their head around how you: Hired your friend of many years @emilyarmstrong to replace @chesterbe knowing Emily’s history in the church and her history as an ally to @dannymasterson.”
Jaime also accused Shinoda of “Quietly eras[ing] my father’s life and legacy in real time […] during international suicide prevention month” and “refus[ing] 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.”
“What you have done is not something for people to acclimate to,” he continued. “It’s not a shock that people are just going to have to take time [to] process and understand. You have 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. Insane.”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.