
Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda claims fans ‘lashed out' at new singer Emily Armstrong because she's a woman
In a new interview with The Guardian, Mike Shinoda explained why he thinks part of the the band's fanbase was outraged over Armstrong, 39, joining the group seven years after lead singer Chester Bennington's death.
'There were people who lashed out at Emily, and it was really because she wasn't a guy,' Shinoda, 48, stated.
10 Emily Armstrong and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park perform at the opening ceremony of the UEFA Champions League Final 2025.
Getty Images
The guitarist claimed that critics were 'used to Linkin Park being six guys' with 'the voice of a guy leading this song' and haven't adapted to the band's new iteration.
'They were just so uncomfortable with what it was that they chose a ton of things to complain about,' Shinoda explained. 'They're pointing in 10 different directions saying: 'This is why I'm mad, this is why the band sucks.''
10 Linkin Park in the press room at the 48th Grammy Awards in 2006.
Getty Images
10 Colin Brittain, Dave 'Phoenix' Farrell, Emily Armstrong, Mike Shinoda, Joe Hahn of Linkin Park at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards.
Billboard via Getty Images
Armstrong — also the lead singer of the rock band Dead Sara — joined Linkin Park last year as the group reunited for the ongoing From Zero World Tour.
The singer received backlash in part due to her connection to Scientology and her support of actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson before he was convicted of rape in 2023.
10 Emily Armstrong performs at the Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival in May 2025.
Amy Harris/Invision/AP
'Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance, and went to one early hearing as an observer,' she wrote in a social media statement in Sept. 2024.
10 Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong perform at Barclays Center in NYC in Sept. 2024.
Getty Images
'Soon after, I realized I shouldn't have,' Armstrong added. 'I always try to see the good in people, and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since. Unimaginable details emerged, and he was later found guilty.'
10 Emily Armstrong and Mike Shinoda at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Armstrong told The Guardian that she wasn't prepared for the negative public reaction to her joining Linkin Park.
'Not this. No, not this. I was a little bit naive about it, to be honest,' Armstrong said, adding that she used to avoid social media 'for mental-health purposes.'
10 Emily Armstrong performing during the Linkin Park concert in London on June 28.
Michal Augustini/Shutterstock
'If there was something really, really pressing, I think our PR would talk to us about it,' she shared. 'But I'm old enough to know the difference between real life and the internet.'
Amidst Linkin Park's tour, Shinoda said there are some songs that he'd 'feel weird playing' including 'One More Light' from the band's final album with Bennington.
10 Mike Shinoda performs at the I-Days Festival in Italy on June 24.
Corbis via Getty Images
10 Linkin Park arrives at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in 2006.
Getty Images
Shinoda noted the song was originally written 'for a woman at the label that we worked with who passed away. Then after Chester passed, the world decided that it was about him. And so that's just too sad to play.'
Bennington tragically died in 2017 by suicide. He was 41.
10 Chester Bennington performs during the Projekt Revolution Tour in 2008.
FilmMagic
His 29-year-old son, Jaime Bennington, slammed Linkin Park for adding Armstrong to its lineup last year.
Jaime claimed Shinoda had 'quietly erased my father's life and legacy in real time … during international suicide prevention month.'
He also brought up Armstrong's Scientology connection and said the band 'failed to address the concerns of their diverse fan base.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Country star Zac Brown ‘going into debt' to fund expensive Las Vegas Sphere residency
You get what you give. Zac Brown has revealed that he is taking on debt to fund his highly anticipated four-show residency at the Las Vegas Sphere later this year. 'Just going into debt to make it happen,' the 'Knee Deep' country star, 46, told Us Weekly in an interview published Friday, July 25. Advertisement 7 Zac Brown attends the 2025 American Music Awards at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on May 26, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images 7 The Zac Brown Band performs after the NASCAR Xfinity Series The Loop 110 at Chicago Street Course on July 5, 2025. Getty Images Brown's four-concert run at the iconic Sin City venue is scheduled to kick off in December, and the first night will coincide with the release of the Zac Brown Band's next album, 'Love & Fear,' on Friday, Dec. 5. Advertisement But despite taking on debt to make the performances happen, the 'Chicken Fried' crooner is still looking forward to what he and his band have planned for their countless fans. 'It's a big moment in time,' Brown continued. 'I want to be among the names of the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones and the bands that take that lifelong career impact fan journey to be able to do that.' 7 Zac Brown visits 'Fox & Friends' at Fox News Channel Studios on July 24, 2025, in New York City. Getty Images 'This is our statement to try to step into that,' he added. Advertisement The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is also ready to take on the difficulty that comes with pulling off a concert series at the 20,000-capacity Sphere. 'Whatever adversity, I'm just like, 'Okay, bring it,'' Brown said as he prepares for the shows. 'There are lots of forces that are always trying to distract you from what you're doing, and you just got to keep plowing, keep going.' 7 Zac Brown performs at The Pinnacle on April 1, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. Getty Images Unlike most music venues, the Las Vegas Sphere includes a visual element that immerses the audience in a multi-sensory experience. Advertisement Besides collecting images and clips to play alongside his songs, Brown revealed that he is also putting together a unique story for his fans. 'I hope they feel wonder,' he said. 'Unpredictability is something we use in our live shows a lot. I love pulling out covers that no one would ever expect us to play; that's super fun. This is the same thing visually, sonically – everything we're doing.' 7 The Zac Brown Band performs on NBC's 'Today' at Rockefeller Plaza on July 25, 2025, in New York City. Getty Images 'We have all the audio finished. We're putting the video pieces together, stitching it together. I'm finishing the story,' he continued. 'I'm telling a lot of personal things about my life that I've never shared before.' 'Everything hard that we go through as human beings always ends up making us better in some way,' Brown added. Plus, Brown teased a 'theme of redemption' throughout each of the four upcoming shows. 7 Zac Brown performs during the Zac Brown Band Special New Year's Eve Show at State Farm Arena on December 31, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images 'Taking people on a journey through things that are uncomfortable and then creating that dissonance and then that tension and release is really the art of what we're doing,' he shared. Advertisement 'I haven't seen anything like what we're doing there,' Brown concluded. 'So, it's really exciting.' Shortly before opening up about his four-show residency at the Sphere, the country music icon revealed that he and his girlfriend, Kendra Scott, got engaged. 7 Kendra Scott and Zac Brown make their red carpet debut at the American Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2025. Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA 'We are so happy and grateful that we found each other,' Brown told People on Thursday, July 24. Advertisement The 'Old Love Song' singer's engagement to Scott, 51, comes less than two years after his contentious divorce from ex-wife Kelly Yazdi. 'I feel great,' Brown said after proposing to Scott. 'I got her good.'


Forbes
5 hours ago
- Forbes
Linkin Park's Decades-Old Single Finally Debuts
Linkin Park's 2003 hit 'Somewhere I Belong' debuts at No. 19 on Billboard's Hard Rock Streaming ... More Songs chart, decades after the Meteora single was released. 401611 182: Linkin Park pose backstage during the 44th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center February 27, 2002 in Los Angeles, CA. Linkin Park won Best Hard Rock Performance for "Crawling." (Photo by) Linkin Park broke into mainstream consciousness with its debut album Hybrid Theory, which produced the band's biggest single, "In the End." It was the group's follow-up, Meteora, that proved the hard rockers could continue the runaway success that started with the first full-length. That second album spawned smashes that still reign as some of the group's most-adored tracks, including "Faint," "Numb," and "Somewhere I Belong." That latter cut earns a somewhat surprising moment in the sun this week in America, long after it first reached the ears of millions. "Somewhere I Belong" Manages a Comeback "Somewhere I Belong" appears on only one Billboard tally at the moment, as it opens at No. 19 on the Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart. Linkin Park earns its fourteenth placement on the roster, which focuses solely on the most successful hard rock cuts across streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music in the United States, as the cut finally reaches the streaming-only list. Linkin Park Scores One of Just Two Debuts on the Tally Linkin Park claims one of only two debuts on the 25-spot Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart this week. The list is dominated by "My Mind Is a Mountain," the latest single from Deftones, which opens in first place. Two other classics also reappear, with another Deftones tune, "Change (In the House of Flies)," and "Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains reentering at Nos. 22 and 25, respectively. Linkin Park Claims Three Smashes at Once Linkin Park currently occupies three spaces on the Hard Rock Streaming Songs tally, and none of them are filled by tracks that are even remotely new. "In the End" rises from No. 3 to No. 2, while "Numb" dips one spot to No. 10, giving the group a pair of top 10s as one of its oldest singles finally makes its way to the ranking. "Somewhere I Belong" Joins a Growing List of 'New' Hits "Somewhere I Belong" is the latest Linkin Park classic to find its way onto the Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart long after its initial release. Tracks like "In the End" and "Numb" only arrived in mid-2020, when Billboard began officially tracking hard rock streaming performances — well after streaming platforms had become the primary way millions of people access music. Several singles from the group's comeback album From Zero arrived in mid-to-late 2024, including "The Emptiness Machine," "Heavy as the Crown," and "Over Each Other." "One Step Closer," originally released in 2000, debuted in March 2024. "Faint," also from Meteora, opened in September 2024, as did "What I've Done," which comes from a later Linkin Park project. A Classic Single with Long Lasting Appeal "Somewhere I Belong" was officially released as a single from Meteora in February 2003, just weeks before the album dropped. The track became another huge hit for Linkin Park, reaching No. 1 on several rock-focused radio rankings in America and giving the band another top 40 smash on the Hot 100.


New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Rachael Ray's fans calls for temperature check on celeb chef after ‘concerning' behavior
For decades, Food Network chef Rachael Ray has warmed America's hearts with her budget meals and culinary catch phrases like 'yum-o' and 'delish.' But now, worried fans are calling for a temperature check over the chef's bizarre behavior. 'People have been concerned about her for the past couple of years,' a TV insider told The Post, following reports she was slurring her speech in a cooking video recently, leading worried fans to question in Ray is alright. Advertisement 12 Celebrity chef Rachael Ray has sparked concerns from fans over her health in recent years. Rachael Ray/Instagram 'There's always been rumors that she drinks,' said a source, who was quick to point out they didn't know if she could be suffering from a medical condition. Sources close to Ray say there's no issue, she's 'taking care of herself' and 'doing things on her own terms.' Advertisement 'Rachael Ray is someone that isn't into hair and makeup, and high heels. People are judging her based off of what a standard of beauty is. She's not that girl,' the TV insider said. On Wednesday, Ray stepped out at a media event at Ray's Bar on the Lower East Side to promote her spirits brand Staple Gin, shaking up cocktails behind the bar clad in an oversized blazer, jeans, Nike sneakers, and clear-framed glasses next to her husband, musician and lawyer John Cusimano, 57. 12 Sources close to Ray say she's 'taking care of herself' and 'doing things on her own terms.' Getty Images 'I wouldn't have my name associated with the actual gin because if you don't like me or you think my voice is funny, or whatever, you could still buy the gin,' Ray quipped, giving her hubby credit for his cocktail-making skills. Advertisement 'I wrote the recipe for the gin, I really did. Worked on it a long, long time. But my husband is responsible for all the cocktails that are made,' she told the crowd. In May, Ray appeared to slur her words in a cooking video shared to Instagram on Mother's Day, showing her standing over a stovetop. 12 On Wednesday, Ray stepped out at a media event at Ray's Bar on the Lower East Side to promote her spirits brand Staple Gin, shaking up cocktails with her husband, John Cusimano (left). Getty Images for NYCWFF 12 'If you don't like me or you think my voice is funny, or whatever, you could still buy the gin,' Ray quipped on Wednesday, seemingly addressing fan concern. Getty Images Advertisement She recalled a time when she was 'very, very poor' living in Glens Falls, New York; before her big break in 2002 with '$40 A Day,' the show which saw her show how to live healthily on a low budget, catapulting her to a household name. 'Rachael worried about you!' one fan wrote in the comments. 'Rachael, are you okay? You don't look well,' another asked. In June, an insider claimed to the Daily Mail that something 'seemed off' with Ray who showed 'bizarre behavior' while conversing with fans and handing out bottles of her gin and baseball caps at an event at Broadway Spirits in Manhattan. 12 'Rachael Ray is someone that isn't into hair and makeup, and high heels. People are judging her based off of what a standard of beauty is. She's not that girl,' the TV insider said. Getty Images for NYCWFF 'She got oddly close to some people, hugging them in a way that seemed overly familiar as she posed for photos,' the source said. 'You know how Drew Barrymore acts with celebrity guests on her talk show — just like that.' Last October, in the debut episode of her podcast 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead,' Ray admitted some of her housework was on pause because she suffered 'a couple of bad falls in the last couple of weeks,' again sparking worry over her health. Advertisement 12 'Rachael worried about you!' one fan wrote in the comments of a cooking video the celebrity chef posted in May. Rachael Ray/Instagram A rep for Ray told The Post: 'Yes, we have seen some comments and questions from fans. Rachael focuses on the majority of fans asking her for help getting dinner on the table or for ways they can best feed their family with food prices on the rise. 'Rachael is working at her usual vigorous pace.' Behind the chef's sunny persona is a mountain of grief. In May 2020, Ray's beloved pit bull Isaboo died. Advertisement 12 In June, an insider claimed to the Daily Mail that something 'seemed off' with Ray, who showed 'bizarre behavior' while conversing with fans and handing out bottles of her gin at Broadway Spirits in Tribeca, seen here. Janet Mayer/Shutterstock '[My dog] died in my arms,' she said at the time in an interview with EXTRA. 'I felt guilty and grateful at the same time…People suffered actual human loss from COVID or because they couldn't get care…and how many people died alone.' Then her home in Lake Luzerne, New York, burned down in a chimney fire that August. A year later, in 2021, her New York City apartment was flooded during Hurricane Ida. Advertisement 12 Last October, in her debut episode of her podcast 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead,' Ray admitted some of her housework was on pause because she suffered 'a few falls,' dishing on her home life with her husband in upstate New York. WireImage 12 'Rachael is working at her usual vigorous pace,' a rep for Ray told The Post. Janet Mayer/Shutterstock 'She was dealing with trauma,' the TV insider told The Post. This June, Ray paid tribute to her longtime friend, fellow Food Network chef Anne Burrell, who died by suicide in June at age 55. She said the death left her 'truly shaken.' Advertisement 'She was a force in the kitchen, in any room, in every life she touched,' Ray wrote in a tribute on Instagram. 12 Ray has suffered losses over the last few years, including her beloved pit bull in 2020. Her home upstate burned down months later. 'She was dealing with trauma,' the TV insider told The Post. Getty Images 12 Ray mourned the loss of beloved friend and fellow Food Network chef Anne Burrell, who died by suicide in June. rachaelray/Instagram Ray reached Food Network superstardom with '30 Minute Meals,' where she made affordable food, fast for working families in the early 2000s. She also launched her namesake lifestyle magazine and a nationally syndicated talk show, 'Rachael Ray,' which ran for 17 seasons from 2006 to 2023. Follow The Post's coverage on Anne Burrell's death Her final episodes of the daytime gabfest ended with emotional tributes from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama and she left a huge hole in ABC network's schedule. 'Her show did well with ratings, [ABC] couldn't find another show to replace her. That was the challenge.' Despite retiring from talk TV, sources close to Ray say she's far from throwing in the dish towel on her career. 12 A source close to Ray told The Post: 'She's taking real care of herself. She is still building and growing. She's not slowing down — just doing things on her own terms.' Getty Images for NYCWFF 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead' has proven a hit, with guests like chef Jacques Pepin and Dr. Ian Smith, who had frequently appeared on her talk show. 'Rachael is doing really well — in fact, she's working harder than ever. She's constantly on the move, traveling between her homes in upstate New York and Tuscany, Italy, where she's filming new episodes for her A&E shows, while also making frequent trips to New York City for events, media, and business meetings,' a source close to Ray told The Post. 'She's taking real care of herself. She is still building and growing. She's not slowing down — just doing things on her own terms.'