Talinda Bennington, wife and widow to the late Chester Bennington, has written a public message to commemorate her husband on what would have been his 46th birthday. The Linkin Park singer took his own life in 2017, leading Talinda to act as a spokesperson for those suffering from depression.
She launched the 320 Changes Direction, an organisation that aims to make life easier for those suffering from mental health issues. It was launched on what would have been her late husband’s birthday.
“The pain doesn’t get any easier but you get used to it is what they say,” she wrote on Instagram on March 20th. “I’m not sure I believe that at all. There’s no getting used to this type of grief. I’m doing my best to raise our babies the way we always talked about. You were my other half and it is so hard walking without you. I love you and we are celebrating you today.”
This isn’t the first time she’s addressed her pain in public. In 2018, she recognised that the best way to counter stigmas was to address them publicly. She wrote about some of the warning signs she had witnessed over the years, feeling that there are ways to fight the illness. She said the hopelessness and isolation were all part of the reasons for his desolate fall into depression and despair. Since then, she has encouraged fans to upload videos, to discuss the virtues of their mental health.
In other Linkin Park related news, the band have worked together to keep the archive afloat, issuing remixes of past material as their means of keeping the legacy alive. The band may tour again in the future, but guitarist Mike Shinoda says the band doesn’t have the “emotional and creative math” worked out to consider returning to the live stage, although he didn’t rule out the possibility of the band doing so in the future when they have sorted out their misgivings.
Linkin Park rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was released in 2000. The band have continued to hold a fanbase in the years since.
