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Jaime Bennington, the son of late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, has said that he doesn’t “feel safe” attending the band’s reunion shows under general admission because “so many of these Linkin Park fans who will be attending have been cruel, unusual and aggressive.”
Bennington’s father Chester died by suicide in 2017 at the age of 41.
Earlier this week, his former band announced that they are reuniting with a new singer, Emily Armstrong.
Shortly after Armstrong was unveiled as the band’s new singer, controversy erupted as it was claimed that she had supported The Ranch and That ‘70s Show star Danny Masterson during a sexual assault trial that saw him convicted of rape. He was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison last year.
Jaime Bennington aired his discontent on Instagram, accusing Linkin Park co-founder Mike Shinoda of “quietly [erasing] my father’s life and legacy in real time… during international suicide prevention month”.
In a lengthy series of remarks, he highlighted Armstrong’s alleged links with the Church of Scientology as well as her support of Masterson.
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 recognize me or take it upon themselves to respond to me in an aggressive manner when I’m just there to see the show. But I do need to see it.”
The band has announced details of a six-date world tour, which will see them appear at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on September 11, the Barclays Center in New York on September 16, the Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany on September 22, The O2 in London on September 24, the Inspire Arena in Seoul, South Korea on September 28, and the Coliseo Medplus in Bogota, Colombia on November 11.
“The audience themselves could be unsafe for me. … I do feel it’s necessary to acknowledge the severity of my situation, the ways in which people choose to interact with me,” Bennington added. “So many of these Linkin Park fans who will be attending have been cruel, unusual and aggressive.”
In a further statement, Bennington addressed Linkin Park fans directly: “While attending the show please do not harass me or my partner. Respectfully, we are attending for closure.
“If anything happens to me or my partner while we are attending this concert, it is on Linkin Park.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
