Chester Bennington’s son feels ‘unsafe’ after backlash from fans over criticism of Linkin Park’s new vocalist

Chester Bennington’s son, Jaime Bennington, recently criticised Linkin Park’s decision to bring in Emily Armstrong as their new lead vocalist alongside Mike Shinoda. Since his very public call-out, he has revealed that Linkin Park fans have been harassing him online, reported Deadline.

Chester, the iconic lead singer of Linkin Park, tragically died by suicide in 2017. Since then, his son Jaime has been vocal about his father’s legacy and the direction the band has taken in his absence.

In an Instagram post, Jaime claimed the band’s founder, Mike Shinoda, had “quietly erased my father’s life and legacy in real-time… during international suicide prevention month” by introducing Linkin Park’s new line-up last week.

He expressed his concerns about Armstrong, particularly pointing out her ties to Scientology and her previous support of actor Danny Masterson. Masterson, a member of the Church of Scientology and the former That ’70s Show star was convicted of raping two women and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

Jaime’s criticism, however, drew backlash from certain Linkin Park fans who remain supportive of its decision.

“There are a lot of people who do not like me. There are a lot of people saying some really awful s**t right now to me,” Jaime wrote on his Instagram story.

He further expressed fears about attending the band’s upcoming show, stating, “To be honest, I don’t think I feel safe going to the show under general admission because I don’t know who I’m around.

Now in a new Instagram story, Bennington has said he fears for his safety around Linkin Park fans. “There are a lot of people who do not like me,” he said. “There are a lot of people saying some really awful s*** right now to me. To be honest, I don’t think I feel safe going to the show under general admission because I don’t know who I’m around. I don’t know who would recognise me or take it upon themselves to respond to me aggressively when I’m just there to see the show. But I do need to see it.”

Despite the criticism, Jaime remains determined to attend the show. However, he acknowledged the potential risks, stating, “The audience themselves could be unsafe for me. … I do feel it’s necessary to acknowledge the severity of my situation, and how people choose to interact with me.”

Elaborating on the nature of harassment, he wrote, “All these people come over to me and go, ‘You don’t know what your dad would think,’” he explained.

“You’re coming over to my posts and my livestreams and telling me to kill myself, that I’m awful, that my father doesn’t appreciate me. What are you talking about? You didn’t give a fuck when he died. If you did, you would understand what the problem is. You would understand why this is all wrong. I do because I’m his kid.”

Jaime has since posted a follow-up statement urging fans to respect his and his partner’s space at the concert. “While attending the show, please do not harass me or my partner. Respectfully, we are attending for closure,” Jaime wrote.

“If anything happens to me or my partner while we are attending this concert, it is on Linkin Park.”

Linkin Park is gearing up to release new music for the first time since Chester’s death. The band is set to release a new album and embark on a supporting tour titled From Zero, with Armstrong as a co-lead vocalist.

The band’s upcoming tour includes six major arena shows with stops in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London, Seoul, and Bogota, with the new album scheduled for release on November 15.

Armstrong stated on September 6 to clarify her past actions regarding 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 explained, emphasising her distance from the situation since then.

“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.”

Jaime’s criticism of Linkin Park

Jaime’s criticisms were not limited to Armstrong’s connection to Scientology or her support of Danny Masterson. He specifically called out Mike Shinoda, accusing him of making questionable decisions that tarnish his father’s legacy and the values of the band.

In a detailed statement, Jaime addressed Mike directly: “Hey Mike! People aren’t having a difficult time wrapping their heads around the prospect of Linkin Park reinventing itself. They are having a hard time wrapping their head around how you: 1) Hired your friend of many years, Emily Armstrong, to replace Chester Bennington, knowing Emily’s history in the [Scientology] church and her history as an ally to Danny Masterson.”

Jaime also said the band has “refused to acknowledge the impact of hiring someone like Emily without so much as a clarifying statement on the variety of victims that make up [their] core fanbase.”

Jaime didn’t stop there; he also pointed out the personal conflicts that have arisen because of the band’s decisions. He mentioned his “falling out” with Mike Shinoda’s wife, Anna Shinoda, who, like Mike, had restricted him from directly engaging with them on social media.

Jaime underscored the lack of acknowledgement from Linkin Park regarding the fallout and the emotional harm caused by these choices, suggesting a deeper fracture within the Linkin Park community and its associated personal relationships.