Linkin Park Frontman Chester Bennington Dead at 41
Linkin Park frontman, Chester Bennington, has died at the age of 41, after an apparent suicide.
A Los Angeles County coroner verified that the singer was found dead at his home in the affluent Los Angeles suburb of Palos Verdes at around 9AM on Thursday morning.
“We can confirm that unfortunately Mr. Chester Bennington is dead…We are currently out there conducting an investigation. At this time, it’s being treated as a possible suicide,” a spokesperson for the LA County Coroner’s office said.
According to gossip website, TMZ, Bennington committed suicide by hanging himself. Other sources have said that he was found with a belt around his neck, hanging from a door separating his bedroom from his closet.
The sources also said that there was a ‘partially empty’ bottle of alcohol found in his bedroom, but no drugs.
During his life, Bennington often spoke out about his addiction to drugs and alcohol. However, in 2011, he said he was giving up alcohol.
He also spoke on numerous occasions about being sexually abused as a child, which may have contributed to his depression.
While there has been no official statement released regarding Bennington’s death by his family or Linkin Park, the band’s guitarist and co-founder, Mike Shinoda, confirmed the tragedy on Twitter.
“Shocked and heartbroken, but it’s true. An official statement will come out as soon as we have one,” his tweet read.
Linkin Park was scheduled to go on tour in a week’s time to promote their new album, ‘One More Light’. Coincidentally, they also released a new music video, for the song ‘Talking To Myself’ on the morning of Bennington’s death.
Bennington was a very close friend of Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman, Chris Cornell, who also committed suicide by hanging in May of this year. Bennington sang at Cornell’s funeral, and penned a heartfelt open letter to his late friend, saying that he ‘prays [you] find peace in the next life.’
Bennington died on what would’ve been Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday.
Chester is survived by his wife, Talinda Bentley, their son Tyler and twin daughters, Lilly and Lila, as well as three other children from his previous relationships.
RIP, Chester. We hope you find peace in the next life.
