The usual reactions to those messages came too, ones judging people who ‘didn’t know’ Chester, who ‘never met him’, and those ‘just being dramatic’. They came from fans who have suffered the same mental illness as Chester, who have been abused and in pain and hurt the same way that he did. Many of these notes came from people who looked to Linkin Park in their darkest hours, for their music and for their honesty. He knew pain, he knew loss, and he still couldn’t make it make sense.įans around the world began pouring out sentiments of sympathy, of confusion, of shock, and of pain of their own. It does nothing to help those who loved him and it does nothing to help make sense of the tragedy.
He knew that pain, so when people say that Chester’s death was selfish, it serves no purpose. He lived that life, the one of the person who loves someone that couldn’t continue living. After Chris’ death, Chester penned that he was weeping, and he sang a beautiful rendition of ‘Hallelujah’ at his funeral, also dedicating a song to Chris at one of Linkin Park’s last concert dates.
There’s never a way to make sense of a beautiful life lost and there’s never a remedy for the hole that’s left in the hearts of those who loved someone who ended their lives.Ĭhester was close with Chris Cornell, who took his life earlier this year in a very similar way to how Chester ended his. With depression and substance abuse, with addiction and with that much pain – there’s never just one answer anyway. The truth is, none of us know, and we won’t. Could the negativity have contributed to Chester’s depression? He said in an interview that he did his best when he was ‘being someone’ – a father, a band mate, a dad, and when he passed away, he was alone, could that have been a factor?
Speculation begins there, the album was one that fans didn’t react to as positively as their other records. He was doing better, he was getting better and with a disease that makes a home in the darkest parts of your mind even when you’re trying so hard to silence it, that was a huge step. He said writing the album helped him to realize that life isn’t perfect. One of those ways was with Linkin Park’s album One More Light in addition to therapy. He was open about his addiction and his depression, and how he found hope. The abuse lasted for years and he tried to find ways to escape the hurt. Sometimes, the people who provide the most light are the ones who know what it’s like to live without it.Ĭhester dealt with depression for many many years, he also suffered abuse at the hands of an older man when he was young. Being in the spotlight doesn’t mean that you’re always shining. Fans were distraught and the question ‘how’ was being asked all over the world even though many of them knew the answer.įame doesn’t make you immune to mental illness, addiction, and abuse. What was more shocking was when news broke of the way he died ‘apparent suicide’ they said. Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park, was someone who saw a lot of people through their darkest times, and his death was shocking. If you were scrolling through social media on July 20th, you undoubtedly saw the hashtag #RIPChesterBennington and if you’re anything like us, you immediately stopped to catch your breath.