How Chester Bennington’s Son Jaime Is Addressing Linkin Park’s Reunion Lineup

In the aftermath of Linkin Park's reunion announcement, Chester Bennington's eldest son, Jaime, has come out in opposition of the band's selection of Emily Armstrong as their new vocalist.

Using his Instagram account, Bennington has called out the band for failing to acknowledge Armstrong's history with the Church of Scientology and jailed actor Danny Masterson while also accusing the group of quietly erasing his father's legacy.

Armstrong addressed the backlash in a statement over the weekend, "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 always try to see the good in people, and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since. Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty," she stated in response to her previous appearance at Masterson's trial. She added, "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."

Social media response after Bennington's post has been swift, with Jaime sharing threats he's received as a result of speaking his mind. But despite the threats, he's sought to secure tickets to catch the band's Los Angeles show.

What We Need to Remember

Chester Bennington was a significant part of Linkin Park. His death was something the band took years to come to terms with and the thought of continuing the group without him never took full formation in the public eye until 2024.

Mike Shinoda has stated in interviews that the initial idea was just to get the living members working together again creatively without the intent that it had to be Linkin Park. Though Armstrong was one of several musicians they had worked with prior, it wasn't until after the pandemic that they revisited the idea and began to see the potential of her under the Linkin Park banner.

Bennington, like many of Linkin Park's fans, has a right to be critical of the selection. His opposition has been noted and he's voiced his desire to see the new lineup live to get a sense of closure. Seeing the band move on after the death of your father can not be easy and should be treated with some sympathy and Bennington's reaction to the new lineup could be a way of grieving and coming to terms with the passage of time. That said, everyone reacts differently and so far Jaimie has been the lone member of the family speaking out against the reunion, while Chester's widow Talinda appears to have granted her support.

Having a negative view of the reunion lineup and voicing that opinion should not be met with threats of physical violence. That's something the Linkin Park fan community has not been based on over the years.

What Did Jaime Bennington Say About Linkin Park?

In recent years, Bennington has actively shared numerous conspiracies pertaining to Linkin Park and the death of his father.

Bennington's entry point into the reunion conversation came when he addressed Mike Shinoda's quotes given online when speaking about Emily Armstrong's addition to the band. He screenshot Shinoda's conversation, in which he stated,“Many people will take time to wrap their heads around us with her. If people are respectfully not there yet, I’m totally fine with that. But disrespect me, and you will lose my respect in return.”

In response to those comments, Bennington stated in a posting directed at Shinoda, "People aren't having a difficult time wrapping their head 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 @emilyarmstrong to replace @chesterbe knowing Emily's history in the church and her history as an ally to @dannymasterson is what it is."

"2) Quietly erased my father's life and legacy in real time not only during a band interview meant to clear the air about certain parts of Linkin Park's history and future, but during International Suicide Prevention Month."

"3) Have 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 YOUR CORE FAN BASE. No acknowledgement of the way you groom your fan base, @chesterbe, Chester's kids or family, my falling out with your wife @ANNASHINODA (who cannot be mentioned either), @dannymasterson victims, or even Emily's intimidation of those victims. And the list goes on. And on. And on. And..."

Bennington did not make it clear why he believes these alleged "victims" are a part of Linkin Park's core fan base or what exactly they have been victims of. He also does not offer details about what he means by grooming fans nor Chester and his family. They appear to be unfounded as no evidence of such accusations has been presented.

The latter point reiterates some of the conjecture introduced by At the Drive In vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and his wife Chrissie who have both been critical of Armstrong's ties to the Church of Scientology and jailed actor Danny Masterson.

Within the comments, Bennington stated that Shinoda had "restricted my interactions with you because you don't like what I have to say. So this will have to do."

He went on to add, "What you've done is not something for people to ACCLIMATE to. It's not a SHOCK that people are just going to have to take time, process and understand. You have betrayed the trust loaned to you by decades of fans and supporting human being 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."

He continued, "At this point, I would wager that all you LP guys know is disrespect. You didn't trick me!! I heard you slip at the end of your @zanelowe interview #2. This album HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS SINCE AT LEAST 2019. Possibly 2017."

It should be noted that Shinoda has stated in interviews that Linkin Park's members first started getting back together with the idea to create music without the expectation that it would be Linkin Park. They invited several guests and had different singers they checked out. While Armstrong was among those who initially joined those sessions, Shinoda has stated it wasn't until after she returned after the pandemic that he began to envision Armstrong as a co-vocalist that could fit under the Linkin Park banner.

Elsewhere within the message, Bennington commented, "I know your pattern. I saw what you did." Bennington signed off with the message, "Disrespect us. Go ahead. Disrespect me!"

What Happened After?

Upon the announcement of Armstrong's addition, the singer posted on social media a photo of herself alongside Shinoda onstage on her Instagram. While the post was met with a number of positive responses from fellow peers in the image and even received a heart emoji from Chester Bennington's widow Talinda, Jaime Bennington posted in the comments, "I do not support."

Despite his opposition to the band's addition of Armstrong, Bennington revealed his intent to attend the band's Los Angeles show. He revealed in posts that he had reached out to the group's official Instagram and had tried other channels, but that he had not been acknowledged.

Eventually he posted a message online that read, "I will be attending the 9/11 show. For now with tickets bought by a supporter. Still waiting on @linkinpark and MGMT to acknowledge me. While attending the show please do not harass me or my partner. Respectfully we are attending for closure. For acknowledgement."

The Bennington Backlash

As Bennington has continued to document matters following his initial condemnation of the band's choice for a new vocalist, he's shared that he's received a significant amount of hate and even threats as a result of voicing his opinion.

In his Instagram stories, he's posted several chat discussions that have showcased some of the threats he's received. He also tagged several members of Linkin Park in a video in which he describes the threat he's under going to the show.

"Something serious is going on and I need to say it, I need to document it for my safety," says Bennington. "Remember that guy I posted about who said he's gonna come find me at the Linkin Park show and give me a little 'love' on Mike's behalf? And I said, 'No you're not.' Well somebody I know decided to stand up for me which I really appreciate and this guy let loose some more information that could be true, could be false. He claims that he has dropped $4,000, that he and his buddies can come to the show and hunt me down and beat the living shit out of me. He says that he's doing this on behalf of 'Emily and friends.' So I'll be posting those receipts."

What Fans Are Saying

As you might expect, Bennington's comments have caused a bit of confusion. Fans of the band appear to be taking sides. Some have accused Bennington of spreading conspiracy theories concerning his father. Others have credited Bennington for speaking out against Linkin Park's selection and shining a light on Armstrong's history. There are also others who have called for a stop to the hate and threats against Bennington.

READ MORE: The Reason Linkin Park Didn't Change Their Name for Reunion

One fan summed up likely what many feel in stating, "This whole Linkin Park controversy is once again making me wish that I did not know so much about certain people, whether it's Emily Armstrong or Jaime Bennington. This whole thing feels like a fever dream." See some of the online commentary below.