“Betrayed” - Chester Bennington’s Mother speaks out about Linkin Park reunion

Linkin Park’s return to music has been met with mixed reactions from across the music world, with some fans stoked the band are back, embracing the bands new singer, Emily Armstrong. While others… not so keen. One of those people is unfortunately the late Chester Bennington’s own mother.

Chester Bennington's mother, Susan Eubanks, expressed feelings of "betrayal" by Linkin Park regarding their reunion and the inclusion of new vocalist Emily Armstrong. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she revealed that after Chester's death in July 2017, the band had promised her they would consult her before making any decisions about reviving the group.

Eubanks stated that she was not informed when the band chose to work with Armstrong, leading to her sense of betrayal. "I feel like they’re trying very hard to erase the past. They’re performing songs that Chester sang, and having [Armstrong] sing my son’s songs is hurtful," she wrote.

She also mentioned that Chester's first wife, Samantha Marie Olit, and their son, Draven (22), were similarly unaware of the reunion plans until they were publicly announced. Eubanks claimed that both Joe Hahn and Mike Shinoda had assured her they would keep her updated about Linkin Park's activities. However, she learned about the release of previously unreleased tracks featuring Chester from Olit, not from the band members themselves.

Susan Eubanks shared that she discovered Emily Armstrong had joined Linkin Park through Google. Initially, she believed Mike Shinoda would take over as lead vocalist, as Chester had trained him to sing. Eubanks recalled listening to the livestream concert on September 5, Linkin Park's debut with Armstrong, but only managed to hear a brief segment before leaving, describing it as painful to hear her attempt high notes.

She also recounted a conversation with Chester, who had expressed concern after Mike suggested their songs might sound better with a female singer. Eubanks said Chester felt hurt and bewildered by the idea that he could be replaced.