Chester Bennington's Widow Shares Absolutely Heartbreaking Statement On His Birthday
Talinda Bennington shared personal insights on the birthday of her late husband. Chester Bennington of Linkin Park died by suicide in 2017 and Talinda, along with her family, has continued to speak out on mental health awareness and suicide prevention. She's the co-founder of 320 Changes Directions with a mission to streamline access to help individuals in need and "change the culture of mental health." She hopes to build 320 into a resource for friends and family of those suffering emotionally.
In an interview with Now This in 2018, Talinda said, "Chester was his music as much as he was everything else. He was his song. He was his poems. That was his escape." She shared a special detail that the singer used the same microphone on stage for nine years — a meaningful memento for their kids to talk into "when they need to feel close to their dad." In July 2021, Talinda shared a silly photo of Chester on Instagram, remembering the laughter he brought to his family and how he "always made everything better."
She mentioned having their "entire life" on home videos: "I'm glad I never stopped recording." Chester's bandmates also have archives of meaningful memories and they, too, are celebrating their frontman. "Happy Birthday, Chester. We miss you," Linkin Park shared with a throwback video of the singer receiving presents. Talinda's tribute is similar in celebrating his joy, but explores the emotional weight of his absence.
Talinda Bennington pays tribute to her 'other half'
Talinda Bennington celebrated the birthday of her late husband with a post to Instagram. March 20 would have marked Chester Bennington's 46th birthday, and his widow shared a heartfelt message that touched on her continuing grief. "Happy Birthday my love! We miss you so much," she wrote alongside an old photo of Chester smiling with a birthday present. "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."
Despite his ongoing struggles with depression and addiction, when Chester took his own life, Talinda noted it directly followed a happy period of time during a family vacation. She recalled that, the night before he returned to California for work, "he was [at] his best." Talinda told Anderson Cooper during the CNN Town Hall "Finding Hope: Battling America's Suicide Crisis" in 2018 that, after a year of processing the tragedy, she was more aware and educated about the warning signs. "They were definitely there: the hopelessness, the change of behavior, isolation."
The couple shared a son and twin daughters — as well as three children from previous relationships — and Talinda often posts family moments to Instagram in addition to her mental health advocacy. She closed her birthday tribute to the artist by assuring him, "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."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).