5 Sad New Details About The Suicide Of Chester Bennington, Linkin Park's Lead Singer
RIP.
weheartit Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington was found dead at 41 of an apparent suicide.
According to TMZ, Bennington hanged himself. He was discovered in a private California residence Thursday morning.
With Bennington as frontman, Linkin Park achieved critical and pop culture success across all musical genres. They famously collaborated with Jay-Z in 2004 and earned many Top 10 Billboard hits and even two Grammys over the years. On the day of Bennington’s death, the band released the video for a new song off of their newest album One More Light, released in May 2017. TMZ reports that he leaves behind six kids and a wife.
Fans and celebrities alike have begun voicing their shock at the sad news:
Here’s what we know about the details and rumors surrounding his suicide.
1. He was sexually abused as a child
Bennington revealed in a 2008 Kerrang! Interview that he had been molested beginning at age seven. “It was by a friend who was a few years older than me. It escalated from a touchy, curious, ‘what does this thing do’ into full-on, crazy violations,” he said. This sent him into a tailspin, where he pulled away from everyone and launched into addiction.
2. He struggled with drug and alcohol addiction
While promoting a new side project, Dead By Sunrise, in 2009, Bennington revealed his dark past with drugs and alcohol and how they fueled many of his lyrics. In an interview with Noisecreep, Bennington said that while writing the album for Dead By Sunrise, his “life was falling apart,” including “diving very hard into alcohol and drugs.” He credits a lot of his success to his addictions, claiming, “I don’t think I could’ve been inspired to create something like that by watching someone else go through that.
3. He suffered from depression
Earlier this year, Linkin Park released the single “Heavy” off their newest album. The lyrics largely hinted at depression, even including the line if I just let go, I’d be set free. While promoting the new album, Bennington and bandmate Mike Shinoda sat down for an interview in which Bennington addressed his depression. “Life got really weird and really hard, all at one time,” he said. “That took me into a depression that was really hard to get out of.
4. He was close with the late Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell
Earlier this year, Audioslave’s lead singer Chris Cornell also committed suicide by hanging. According to TMZ, the two were good friends and Bennington took the loss hard. After Cornell’s death, Linkin Park performed a song that they dedicated to the singer and Bennington penned a touching open letter to his late friend, which he posted to Twitter. “I’m still weeping, with sadness, as well as gratitude for having shared some very special moments with you and your beautiful family,” Bennington wrote. “I can’t imagine a world without you in it.” Coincidentally, the day of Bennington’s suicide would also be Cornell’s birthday.
5. He considered suicide earlier in his life
According to Digital Spy, Bennington did an interview with another news outlet in 2009 where he revealed that he considered suicide after his first marriage. I felt like my life's work had been given away. I drank myself to the point where I couldn't leave the house and I couldn't function,” the singer said. I wanted to kill myself. I could very easily not be the person who's sitting here right now. I could be dead. It was a horrible, horrible existence.”