Chester Bennington's Widow Talinda Remarries on Wedding Anniversary With Late Linkin Park Frontman

Talinda Bennington, widow of late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, remarried on New Year's [...]

By Michael Hein

Talinda Bennington, widow of late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, remarried on New Year's Eve — her wedding anniversary with Bennington in life. Talinda and Bennington married on New Year's Eve in 2005 and stayed together until his passing in 2017. This year, Talinda took a huge step forward in coping with her loss, remarrying on the same holiday.

Talinda tied the knot with Michael Fredman, according to a report by TMZ. Fredman is a firefighter from Los Angeles County, California. Sources close to the family confirmed that Talinda and Fredman were married on Tuesday at the Turtle Bay Resort on Kahuku, Hawaii.

Talinda's three children — all of whom she had with Bennington — were reportedly in attendance. They have a son, Tyler Lee, born in March of 2006, and twin daughters, Lilly and Lila, born in November of 2011.

Talinda and Fredman became engaged back in April, though they kept things private as long as they could. In September, the news finally went public, and Talinda issued a public statement.

"I can find love after tragedy," she said, according to TMZ. "To all suicide loss survivors, you CAN be happy again. You CAN have space in your heart for grief, joy, happiness, sadness and love."

Meanwhile, Talinda has taken on a huge role in mental health advocacy around the world, at a systemic level. Bennington passed away due to suicide in July of 2017, after a lifelong battle with mental illnes — particularly addiction. Talinda now works with various organizations to help increase support structures for mental health care, often using the hashtag "Make Chester Proud."

Last month, Talinda traveled the world working with the World Health Organization at several international events. She spent her time on social media chatting with doctors and health experts, discussing how to increase access to mental health care, and how to steer the conversation in the media to maximize safety for those at risk.

Much of this work will culminate in the spring with the 320 Festival. Talinda is organizing the music festival in honor of Bennington, in partnership with hundreds of non-profit organizations. It will be a place for fans to get all the information they need on mental health services and the cultural change Talinda is promoting.

The 320 Festival is scheduled for May 9 at the L.A. Live Complex. A smaller performance with a mental health panel is scheduled for March 9 at USC.

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