Linkin Park's New Lead Singer, Emily Armstrong, Brings Some Controversy

The return of Linkin Park brought rock fans every where to tears, but it came with a major twist. Unlike the first time around, the band got a new lead singer which rocked the fandom completely.

Emily Armstrong took over lead vocals from Chester Bennington. The band has seen other changes in their lineup over the years, but most of the other musicians are coming back, including Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Joe Hahn, Dave Farrell, and Colin Brittain.

Chester Bennington, the former lead singer of Linkin Park, died in July 2017. His death was ruled a suicide after a life riddled with mental health issues. There was speculation of alcohol and drugs being involved in his death. Initially, he tested "presumptive positive" for MDMA, but later tests did not find the drug again. There was, however, a bit of alcohol in his system, but it was ruled that he wasn't under the influence of drugs when he died, according to Variety.

After his death, the band took a hiatus to grieve and determine what the future of Linkin Park would look like. Mike reassured fans that the project would continue. According to NME, he told a fan: "I have every intention on continuing with LP, and the guys feel the same. We have a lot of rebuilding to do and questions to answer, so it'll take time."

For a while, the band remained dormant, with Mike shutting down reunion rumors over the years, telling Kerrang! it was "not the time." However, in February 2023, the band dipped their toes back into the water with a 20th-anniversary video game on their website, plus the drop of an unreleased demo and a second single a month later. It wasn't until 2024 that they made a splash when they put a countdown on their website, teasing fans when it began to count back up. Eventually, it was announced that Emily Armstrong would be the band's new lead singer.

At first, fans were supportive to see a woman join the group, but some controversy later stirred when rumors that she was a Scientologist came to light. Scientology News reported that she was seen with John Travolta and Jenna Elfman at the Church of Scientology’s 44th Anniversary Gala in 2013. She was also described as a "true believer" of the ideology by Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, one of the women who accused Scientologist Danny Masterson of sexual assault, according to Rolling Stone.

In fact, Emily was familiar with the Masterson case as she attended a court appearance for him. Masterson was accused of sexual assault by several women and received 30 years to life for two counts of rape. As the controversy continued, Emily retracted her support for Masterson. "Hi, I’m Emily,” she wrote on Instagram, according to New Noise Magazine. “I’m new to so many of you, and I wanted to clear the air about something that happened a while back."

"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 misjudge him. I have never spoken with him since. Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty. 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.”