By Kylie Macallister
Correspondent
Linkin Park has been under heavy scrutiny over the past week following the addition of their new lead singer, Emily Armstrong, for her controversial involvement in the Church of Scientology and her support for convicted rapist Danny Masterson.
Linkin Park revealed during a Sept. 5 livestream that Armstrong, a member of the band Dead Sara since 2003, was chosen to replace Linkin Park's former lead singer, Chester Bennington, who died by suicide in 2017. During the live stream, Armstrong is seen joining the group on stage midway through their performance of their newest single, "The Emptiness Machine."
Although many fans in the crowd appeared enthusiastic during the performance, others would not be so thrilled, especially as Armstrong's controversial past soon surfaced following the reveal.
Images of Armstrong attending a gala for the Church of Scientology back in 2013 have recently resurfaced, leaving many fans to question her stance on Scientology, according to Rolling Stone, While she has never publicly identified as a member of the church, she has openly supported her friend and former "That 70's Show" star Masterson, who is notably a member, according to NBC News.
Her support for Masterson has also caused much controversy, as Masterson was convicted on two counts of forcible rape in May of 2023.
Although Armstrong has not spoken on behalf of the Scientology claims, she has responded to the backlash surrounding her support of Masterson. On Sept. 6, just one day after the band introduced her as their newest lead singer, she took to Instagram to share her side of the story.
Armstrong claimed that she was asked to support her friend, Masterson, in a court hearing as an observer. However, she said that she only went to one hearing as she realized soon after that she shouldn't have attended in the first place.
"I always try to see the good in people," Armstrong said via a now-removed Instagram Story, "and I misjudged him." She then followed this statement by claiming that she has not spoken to Masterson since. She concluded her statement by saying that she does not condone abuse or violence against women.
However, fans are not the only ones feeling betrayed by the singer's appointment as lead singer. Cedric Bixler Zavala, lead singer of the band the Mars Volta, took to Instagram on Sept. 8 to share his wife's thoughts on Armstrong's statement.
Zavala's wife, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, was one of several women to accuse Masterson of assaulting her. "You [Armstrong] have no right to fill the shoes of Chester Bennington, a true advocate [of sexual assault survivors]," Chrissie said on Instagram. "You [Armstrong] don't speak out because you are one of them [members of the church of Scientology]. Shame on Linkin Park," Chrissie said.
Zavala captioned the post with his statement on the situation as well. "You're a Disney level brand trying to make a comeback and you didn't think to spend a little money on looking into her?" Zavala said.
Chester Bennington's son, Jamie Bennington, has also expressed his disapproval of Armstrong taking his father's place. On Sept. 9, Jamie Bennington shared via a now-removed Instagram story that he felt Mike Shonda, member and co-founder of Linkin Park, had "quietly erased my father's life and legacy" by having Armstrong take the position of the former lead singer.
Shonda responded to the criticism in a Discord message, according to the BBC, stating, "Many people will take time to wrap their heads around us with her. Disrespect me, and you will lose my respect in return."
Armstrong has not made any further comments regarding the controversy. Since Armstrong's addition, Linkin Park has made several posts on Instagram, none of which have addressed the controversies. As of now, Linkin Park will still be releasing their eighth studio album, "From Zero," on Nov. 15, 2024, with Armstrong as their lead singer.
