Chester Bennington's widow Talinda gets engaged to firefighter two years after his suicide: 'Death of a soulmate does not mean the death of you'
The late Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington's widow, Talinda Bennington, has announced that she is engaged. The 42-year-old broke the good news with a post shared on Instagram. "I am overjoyed to announce my engagement to my angel on earth, Michael F," She wrote. "I am here to tell you that you can find love after tragedy. That a death of a soulmate does not mean the death of you."
Linkin Park co-founder Mike Shinoda congratulated the happy couple in the comments section saying, "I've already congratulated you both in person, but congrats again, ha! All our love and support!" TMZ reports that Michael F. is a Los Angeles County firefighter. "My family, friends, and my Linkin Park brothers welcome him to the family with open arms," Talinda said in her post.
She also announced in a video on Instagram that she's heading to Geneva, Switzerland to meet with the World Health Organization this week to discuss collaborating on mental health education, suicide prevention, and awareness. Her husband, the late Chester Bennington, committed suicide at the age of 41 in July 2017 in their Palos Verde home.
"I will continue to honor Chester and continue my life's mission to make his passing not in vein," Talinda wrote. "To all Suicide Loss survivors, you CAN be happy again. You CAN have space in your heart for grief, joy, happiness, sadness, and love." Talinda works as an executive adviser for the Campaign To Change Direction and as co-founder of 320 Changes Direction. Before his death, Bennington had been very open about his battles with depression and alcohol and drug abuse over the years and his widow has made it her life's mission to continue to raise awareness.
Linkin Park was one of the most influential bands to come into the spotlight in the 2000s. They popularized the Alternative Rock genre, paving the way for groups like 'Imagine Dragons' and 'Bring Me The Horizon'. They first made a splash with the massive success of their debut studio album Hybrid Theory in 2000. The album has gone on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling debuts of all-time.