The widow of Chester Bennington, the former Linkin Park frontman, is kindly giving his ex-wife 50% of the late singer’s royalties.
Talinda Bennington, who had three children with Chester and is the executor of his estate, has agreed to give his former wife Samantha half of the royalties after she filed a claim with Talinda.
According to reports, the executor filed legal documents with the probate court stating she would allow Samantha’s royalties claim. The claims includes a share of the non-touring merchandise, publishing rights and a share of the master sound records – no mention of child support was mentioned.
Samantha married Bennington in 1996 before the two divorced in 2005. He then married Talinda that same year and stayed with her until his death.
Following his suicide, he left behind six children: Jamie, Isaiah, Draven, Lila, Tyler Lee and Lily.
According to a previous report, Chester left money for his children in the hope the six of them remain close. Now, Chester’s ex-wife Samantha will be receiving 50% of the late singer’s royalties, TMZ reports.
According to Bennington’s will – which TMZ has viewed – he wrote:
I request that my children’s mothers or guardians encourage and allow my children to visit with one another and with my extended family and the extended family of my spouse on a regular and ongoing basis, so that my children know that they have a large and loving family.
Before his death, Chester and Talinda launched a campaign called 320 Changes Direction, which focuses on helping people with mental health problems and their friends and family.
Talinda explains where the idea for the campaign came from on its website:
The idea for 320 was born out of my personal experience and the recognition that we can do better to address the needs of those who are suffering with mental health concerns and addiction. For 13 years I watched my husband Chester struggle with depression and substance use. I often felt scared and alone. I was uneducated about the challenges he faced and I wanted information – but finding answers to my questions and available help for our family was very difficult.
After my husband lost his battle with depression and addiction, I knew I had to make a change to the mental health landscape. I began speaking to as many mental health groups as I could find.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on its anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123, or if you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. It’s open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Its national phone number is 0800 58 58 58, and it also has a webchat service if you’re not comfortable talking on the phone.
Niamh Shackleton is a pint sized person and journalist at UNILAD. After studying Multimedia Journalism at the University of Salford, she did a year at Caters News Agency as a features writer in Birmingham before deciding that Manchester is (arguably) one of the best places in the world, and therefore moved back up north. She’s also UNILAD’s unofficial crazy animal lady.