Chester Bennington's Son Slams Linkin Park Over New Vocalist

Chester Bennington's son has called out Linkin Park for its decision to hire a new vocalist seven years after his father's death.

Chester Bennington died July 20, 2017, from hanging himself after a long battle with depression. Linkin Park has remained active since, but mostly by performing tribute shows and special performances honoring his legacy. That changed last week when the band revealed its new singer, Emily Armstrong, and debuted a new single during a live performance.

Days later, Jaime Bennington took to social media to slam the band's founding member and vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda for replacing his late father.

"Hey Mike! People aren't having a difficult time wrapping their head around the prospect of Linkin Park reinventing itself," Jaime Bennington wrote on his Instagram Stories, according to Deadline. "They are having a hard time wrapping their head around how you: 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."

Jaime Bennington was referencing Armstrong's involvement with Scientology and her support for Danny Masterson during his sexual assault trial. Recently, Armstrong posted a statement online addressing the ordeal.

"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," she wrote on Instagram. "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 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."

In his post, Jaime Bennington went on to accuse Shinoda of "Quietly eras[ing] my father's life and legacy in real time" during international suicide prevention month. Further, he claimed Shinoda 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."

In a separate post, Jaime Bennington stated that Shinoda "betrayed the trust loaned to you by decades of fans and supporting human beings 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."

Linkin Park announced it would be embarking on a six-date arena tour with stops in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London, Seoul, and Bogota but guitarist Brad Delson has since said he will not be a part of the tour.

"I've always felt deeply connected to and proud of our live performances," he said in a statement, according to Guitar World, adding: "Over the years I've realized I thrive most when I'm actively working with my bandmates behind the scenes — in the studio, collaborating on our new music, and helping build our live show."

• Bennington Suicide Mirrors Death of Close Friend Cornell
• Chester Bennington Autopsy: Alcohol, Perhaps Ecstasy Found