The coroner's office was called out to a home in Palos
Verdes Estates shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday. Authorities said they were
treating the case as a possible suicide.
Bennington's band found success in 2000 with their album
"Hybrid Theory" with Bennington's heartfelt vocals leading the way.
That voice, it turned out, was fueled by anguish.
Bennington was open about his troubled life, including an
introduction to smoking pot after his parents divorced when he was 11, which
escalated to cocaine and methamphetamine use.
He also suffered sexual abuse as a child, he said.
"When I was young, getting beaten up and pretty much
raped was no fun," he told The Guardian in 2011. "No one wants that
to happen to you and honestly, I don't remember when it started."
Spotting a photo of himself as a child at his mother's house
from around the time of the abuse brought it all back, Bennington recalled.
"I remember that stuff happening to me at that stage
and even thinking about it now makes me want to cry," he said. "My
God, no wonder I became a drug addict. No wonder I just went completely insane
for a little while."
The group enjoyed cross-over success with the 2004 mash up
"Numb/Encore" which combined their song "Numb" with rapper
Jay-Z's "Encore."
The single was featured on a collaborative album,
"Collision Course," and won an award for best rap/sung collaboration
at the 2006 Grammy Awards.
The news caused an outpouring of grief among celebrities,
especially coming so soon on the heels of the death of Soundgarden frontman Chris
Cornell, a close friend of Bennington's who committed suicide in May.
Bennington had reportedly performed Leonard Cohen's
"Hallelujah" at Cornell's memorial service.
Related: Singer Chris Cornell hanged himself, medical
examiner says
Bennington's bandmate Mike Shinoda tweeted, "Shocked
and heartbroken, but it's true. An official statement will come out as soon as
we have one."
Late night host Jimmy Kimmel wrote, "Chester was one of
the kindest men I've had on my show. My heart breaks for his family and
friends. He will be missed terribly."
Bennington has six children from two relationships.
Linkin Park's latest album, "One More Light," was
released in May. The band was set to kick off a tour in Boston next week.
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