Internet Reacts: Chester Bennington’s Mother Claims Linkin Park Didn’t Inform Family About Lineup Changes

Susan Eubanks, the mother of the late Chester Bennington, expressed feelings of “betrayal”regarding Linkin Park’s recent reunion and the addition of new vocalist Emily Armstrong. In an interview with Rolling Stone on September 19, 2024, she shared her hurt at not being informed about the band’s lineup changes, especially when they had promised to keep her updated.

Eubanks revealed that she discovered Armstrong was taking over her son’s role as the lead singer by reading about it online. She had expected Mike Shinoda to return to sing the songs Chester performed, making the decision to bring in a new vocalist deeply upsetting for her.

As Eubanks voiced her genuine concerns about Linkin Park’s new direction, many netizens sympathized with her feelings.

“Oof. They should have told his family before announcing it to the world,”a Reddit user said.

A fan comments on Chester Bennington's mom feeling betrayed by Linkin Park (Image via @sunmi_siren/Reddit) — A fan comments on Chester Bennington’s mom feeling betrayed by Linkin Park (Image via @sunmi_siren/Reddit)

Internet users shared their understanding of Susan Eubanks’ perspective, noting that she isn’t alone in her discontent over Linkin Park’s decisions.

“I get where she’s coming from. I’ve seen his son’s tweets that he feels the same sentiment. It feels gross that they replaced Chester with someone who doesn’t believe in mental health support/is a Scientologist who supported Danny Masterson. If this wasn’t a cheat money grab IMO Mike would have started a new band under a different name,”a Reddit user wrote.

“She is the second family member of Chester who publicly states their disappointment with the band’s actions. There is something iffy about their reunion and Emily Armstrong,”another Reddit user commented.

On the flip side, some users defended Linkin Park’s decision to move forward, arguing that the Bennington family should not dictate the band’s future.

“They have the right to move on and celebrate their music in the way that they feel is the best way to do that. Chester’s mom doesn’t get a say on how the band is supposed to feel about anything,”a user on X wrote.

“It’s weird when band family members think they should have a say. The say goes to the band itself, even if they sink because of it. Not really an LP fan, in fact I hated them back in the day, but this is BS,”another commenter shared.

“As a lifelong Linkin Park fan, I don’t understand this. It’s a band, not a solo act. The band doesn’t need to end in his absence. They waited 7 years out of respect. It’s natural to grieve, process, and continue on with life,”another X user expressed.

Chester Bennington’s mother expresses her discontent over Linkin Park’s choice of replacement

During her interview with Rolling Stone, Chester Bennington’s mother reiterated her disappointment about not being informed about the band’s decision to change vocalists. She stated that if Mike Shinoda had taken over the singing duties for the tracks her son had originally performed, she “would’ve been okay with that.”

However, Eubanks clarified her opposition to the band bringing in a new singer for their reunion, stating:

“I’m not okay with this, to have somebody replace him and to do what he did. I don’t think that there’s anybody in the world that has the same voice.”

Eubanks mentioned that if she had the opportunity to address the rest of the band, she would express feelings of betrayal, highlighting that they had promised to keep her and Chester’s family informed about the band’s changes but failed to do so.

Additionally, Chester Bennington’s son, Jamie, voiced his disapproval of the band’s choice of vocalist. On September 9, 2024, he criticized Emily Armstrong’s affiliation with Scientology and her support for Danny Masterson during his sexual assault trial.

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