Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington’s cause of death has been ruled a suicide by hanging, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office has confirmed.
As previously reported by Us Weekly, the singer was found hanging at his residence by an employee in the upstairs area of his home in the Palos Verdes Estates neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday, July 20. He was 41.
The coroner previously told Us that there was no evidence of drugs at the scene but that there was a half-empty bottle of alcohol inside the room. No suicide note was found.
Bennington died on what would have been late singer Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday. The two were close friends.
The Linkin Park singer had previously discussed his struggle with alcohol and depression.
“The difficult part was losing all my money, starting my life over and having to pay the person I didn’t want to be around in the first place,” he said in a 2009 interview, referring to his 2005 divorce from Samantha Marie Olit. “I felt like my life’s work had been given away. I drank myself to the point where I couldn’t leave the house and I couldn’t function. I wanted to kill myself.”
Bennington’s bandmates — Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell, Joe Hahn and Rob Bourdon — broke their silence about his death in an emotional Facebook post on Monday, July 24.
“Our hearts are broken,” the post began. “The shockwaves of grief and denial are still sweeping through our family as we come to grips with what has happened. You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realized. In the past few days, we’ve seen an outpouring of love and support, both public and private, from around the world. Talinda and the family appreciate it, and want the world to know that you were the best husband, son, and father; the family will never be whole without you.”
If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 to be connected to a local crisis center for confidential emotional support.
