The late Chester Bennington’s son, Jaime, recently accused Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda of misleading fans about the band’s plans to reunite with new vocalist Emily Armstrong. In a series of Instagram Stories, he claimed Shinoda had been planning the comeback since Chester’s passing in 2017.
“During the Zach Sang Show interview, Mike Shinoda revealed that, as of April 2023, he was lying about the Linkin Park comeback,” the 28-year-old wrote. “That, as of the ‘Already Over’ release in October 2023, Linkin Park was doing photoshoots and finalizing their album rollout. That Emily Armstrong made contact with Linkin Park in October of 2017, the week before the Hollywood Bowl Show. That, in 2019, he and Colin Brittain were looking for a new Linkin Park vocalist, and THAT is when he reached out to Emily Armstrong on his own.”
He further alleged, “Linkin Park reincorporated the same month I had my falling out with Anna Shinoda. THEY KNEW I WAS COMING. And they got ahead of it.”
Jaime claimed Emily Armstrong first approached the band hoping to perform at the Hollywood Bowl tribute show for Chester Bennington but was denied. “Mike claims that Rob Bourdon was the one to introduce her to the band. Emily was not permitted to perform. The run of show was locked + rehearsals were in effect,” following posts explained.
He added that Mike and drummer Colin Brittain revisited the idea of working with Armstrong in 2019. After a creative session, Shinoda reportedly created a Dead Sara playlist and began convincing the rest of the band she was the right choice. Joe Hahn eventually supported the decision after hearing her demo of ‘Over Each Other.’
Jaime also linked the band’s restructuring to his personal conflict with Anna Shinoda in 2021: “I told her I would be telling my story how I wanted, when I wanted, to who I wanted despite her encouragement that I either remain silent about my suffering or fictionalize my experiences when telling my story. That same month Linkin Park reincorporated and began to build out their official comeback. Around this time ‘The Emptiness Machine’ was nearly a completed track. That means that Linkin Park and Mike Shinoda have been lying to you.”
The stories concluded, “The band has been retooling since 2017. And has planned to comeback in full since as 2021 following the release of the ‘Hybrid Theory’ 20th box set. That means that when I came back online in 2023, they were already in motion. They had every intention of shutting me down and making me invisible. My truth has no place at their table.”
Jaime and Chester’s mother, Susan, have publicly opposed the band’s reunion. They accused Mike Shinoda of secretly running the band during its hiatus and trying to erase the late vocalist’s legacy. Shinoda denied the claims, saying the band was only focused on starting a new chapter.
Linkin Park is now set for a global tour supporting their latest album, ‘From Zero,’ which begins in Mexico City on January 31, 2025.
