Entertainment

Chester Bennington’s widow remembers late Linkin Park star on his birthday

The former model and mental health campaigner said ‘it is so hard walking without you’.
The former model and mental health campaigner said ‘it is so hard walking without you’. The former model and mental health campaigner said ‘it is so hard walking without you’.

The widow of Chester Bennington has paid tribute to the Linkin Park singer on what would have been his 46th birthday.

Talinda, who was married to the musician for 11 years before he took his own life in 2017, shared a message with her Instagram followers remembering him.

Posting a photo of Bennington celebrating a past birthday and holding a present, she wrote: “Happy Birthday my love! We miss you so much.

“The pain doesn’t get any easier but you get used to it is what they say. 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.”

The couple had three children together — son Tyler Lee and twin daughters Lily and Lila.

Download Festival 2014 – Day Two – Donington Park
Download Festival 2014 – Day Two – Donington Park Chester Bennington performing at Download Festival (Lewis Stickley/PA)

Bennington was found dead at his Los Angeles home on July 20 2017 aged 41. A coroner later ruled he had taken his own life.

The Grammy Award-winning musician had suffered depression and substance abuse in the years before his death.

Linkin Park, formed in Los Angeles in 1996, went on hiatus following his death, but have now begun working on new music.

Talinda, a former Playboy model, has since become a mental health campaigner and founded the non-profit organisation 320 Changes Direction.

She announced in September 2019 that she had become engaged, naming her new partner only as Michael F, but US outlets reported that she filed for divorce after one year of marriage.