Chester Bennington, lead vocalist of Linkin Park, committed suicide in 2017 after suffering from a mental illness for many years. His widow, Talinda, has been advocating for mental health awareness since. Tanzia Haq reports.
When Chester Bennington took his life in July 2017, tributes poured in from millennials all around the world, claiming Bennington’s music was a huge part of their formative years. Bennington was part of Linkin Park, a pioneering band of the nu metal genre and a defining act of the 21st century. Bennington suffered from mental illness and battled addiction throughout his career.
Bennington was found dead in his home in California on 20 July 2017. He left behind his wife, Talinda, and six children. After Bennington’s passing, Talinda shared a photo of him smiling on social media, explaining that the photo was taken hours before he committed suicide. She highlighted how easy it is to not find out about victims of mental illness because it’s not always evident.
On 24 April 2020, Talinda received recognition for her work as a mental health ambassador. Working with the ‘Campaign To Change Direction’ after her husband’s death, Talinda created the 320 Changes Direction initiative which helps families support members with mental illness.
The Didi Hirsch Center, which actively works to remove the stigma around mental illness, has been helping people with mental illness and substance addiction for 75 years.
Taking to social media, Talinda shared a video of her holding her award, and wrote,”I’m so honoured to be this year’s recipient of the 2020 ‘Mental Health Ambassador Award’ from the Didi Hirsch Center. Thank you so much for this award,”
Thank you to @DidiHirsch for honoring me with this award. It is a huge honor to receive this award on its 27th year! I am proud to work alongside this organization. They are an abundance of resources and support to those in need! pic.twitter.com/Fp0R0Gq0Ou
— Talinda Bennington (@TalindaB) April 24, 2020
- If you’re in need of mental health support, or know someone who does, you can get more information here.
