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Chester Bennington passed away on July 20, 2017. His cause of death has been ruled as suicide by hanging, as reported by 'Us Weekly'. He was found in this state at his residence by an employee in the upstairs area of his home in the Palos Verdes Estates neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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The coroner had informed 'Us Weekly' previously that there was no evidence of drugs at the scene of Bennington's death, but there was a half-empty bottle of alcohol in the room. No suicide note was discovered.
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Bennington, who was 41 years old, joined the group in 1999 and became well-known in 2000 with their first album, 'Hybrid Theory', which got nominated for a Grammy. Their next album, 'Meteora', sold over 27 million copies worldwide.
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Bennington also fronted the 'Stone Temple Pilots' from 2013 to 2015 and made small appearances in the films 'Crank' and 'Saw 3D'. When his close friend and fellow musician Chris Cornell, lead singer of the bands 'Soundgarden' and 'Audioslave', killed himself this past May, Bennington honored him on Twitter and performed at his funeral.
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Linkin Park's most recent album, 'One More Light', was released in May. Bennington's death occurred just days before the band was scheduled to begin the US leg of their latest world tour.
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In past interviews, Bennington has spoken candidly about his struggles with drugs and alcohol. "It’s not cool to be an alcoholic — it’s not cool to go drink and be a dumbass," he said to 'Noisecreep' in 2009. "It’s cool to be a part of recovery. This is just who I am, what I write about, what I do, and most of my work has reflected what I’ve been going through in one way or another."
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He also shared details of an abusive childhood. In a 2011 interview with the 'Guardian', Bennington said, "When I was young, getting beaten up and pretty much raped was no fun. No one wants that to happen to you and honestly, I don’t remember when it started ...My God, no wonder I became a drug addict. No wonder I just went completely insane for a little while."
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His Linkin Park bandmate Mike Shinoda tweeted that he was “shocked and heartbroken” by the news. Other tributes poured in from celebrities including Rihanna, Nikki Sixx, Stormzy (who collaborated with Bennington), Ohio governor John Kasich, and Chance the Rapper.
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Bennington is survived by his wife Talinda Ann Bentley and their six children: Jaime, Isaiah, Draven, Tyler Lee, and twins Lily and Lila.
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During an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper for the CNN Town Hall, 'Finding Hope: Battling America’s Suicide Crisis,' Chester Bennington's wife, Talinda Bennington reflected, "In the days before he died, Chester Bennington had seemed happy and well."
Chester Bennington's Cause Of Death gallery delves into the sad loss of the Linkin Park singer. Through photos and stories, it sheds light on mental health struggles and the effects of depression.
It's a touching tribute to Bennington's memory and highlights the need to talk openly about mental health issues.