Shortly after news broke that Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington had committed suicide, Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch took to social media to share his feelings and called Bennington “cowardly.”
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In a Facebook post, Welch wrote, “Honestly, Chester’s an old friend who we’ve hung with many times, and I have friends who are extremely close to him, but this is truly pissing me off! How can these guys send this message to their kids and fans?!”
“I’m sick of this suicide s–t! I’ve battled depression/mental illness, and I’m trying to be sympathetic, but it’s hard when you’re pissed! Enough is enough! Giving up on your kids, fans, and life is the cowardly way out!!!” his message continued.
He then said, “I’m sorry, I know meds and/or alcohol may have been involved, I’m just processing like all of us and I know we are all having some of the same thoughts/feelings.”
Many people did not take kindly to his seemingly harsh tone, as one commenter wrote, “I have lost whatever respect i had for you,” and another said, “Calling it ‘cowardly’ shows a lack of empathy, understanding and love.”
Eventually, Welch half-backtracked on his statement and posted a separate message saying, “I didn’t mean to sound insensitive about Chester. Just dealing with a range of emotions today. Love you Chester. I’m pissed that you did this, but I know this could have been me back in the day after getting wasted one night.”
More: Chester Bennington’s Suicide Nearly Identical to Chris Cornell’s
It was reported yesterday that Bennington had died after committing suicide in his Los Angeles home.
He had previously dealt with depression and substance abuse issues and even spoke about them in interviews.
In a 2015 interview with Rock Sound, Bennington spoke about his dark times, saying, “I literally hated life and I was like, ‘I don’t want to have feelings. I want to be a sociopath. I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to care what other people feel like. I want to feel nothing.’ “
After his death was announced, his friend and bandmate Mike Shinoda made a personal statement, saying, “Shocked and heartbroken, but it’s true. An official statement will come out as soon as we have one.”
Today, Linkin Park announced that they have officially canceled their upcoming tour in the wake of Bennington’s death.
