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Emily Armstrong was recently revealed as the new member of Linkin Park on September 3, 2024. While the news led to a lot of excitement among the public, Armstrong became a subject of criticism after netizens discovered her link to the Church of Scientology. Back in 2013, she was reportedly spotted at the church's 44th Anniversary Gala in Los Angeles.
The criticism got worse after people found that Emily allegedly attended the 2022 trial of actor and convicted r*pist, Danny Masterson. As soon as social media users slammed Armstrong's addition to Linkin Park, the singer shared a statement through her Instagram Story on September 7 as a response.
Emily Armstrong recalled she was told to support a person at the court who was her close friend. She said that she went to the hearing as an observer and added:
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"Soon after, I realized I shouldn't have. 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."
She even stated towards the end:
"I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes."
Cedric Bixler-Zavala had previously expressed his criticism towards Emily Armstrong
After Linkin Park announced Emily Armstrong's entry into their group, a statement shared by Mars Volta member Cedric Bixler-Zavala started trending on different platforms. Notably, the statement is from 2023 and it claimed:
"I'm surprised none of you wrote a letter on Danny Masterson's behalf since your corny a*s singer showed up to support him in the prelims. Remember Emily? Remember how your fellow scientologist goon squad surrounded one of the Jane Doe's when she was trying to leave the elevators?"
Authorities found Danny Masterson guilty of r*ping two former church members and sentenced him to 30 years in September 2023. Judge Charlaine Olmedo said while giving her verdict that the sentencing was decided based on reliable evidence and while Danny was allowed to speak in the court, he remained silent.
In his statement, Bixler-Zavala referred to Emily and Danny by saying:
"Why can't you shut your mouth during a detox program where people are going through some rough sh*t but your corny a*s is singing like an unsupervised child? Is it cuz you're a born in scientologist that gets a pass? How do you reconcile the homophobia found in the teachings of LRH's book dianetics? Do your fans know about your friend Danny Masterson?"
Cedric's wife Chrissie Carnell-Bixler was also a victim of Danny Masterson. Cedric revealed the same in 2017 as he replied to a post shared by Daily Beast on X, which addressed the accusations of Chrissie against Masterson.
During a trial of Masterson in October 2022, Cedric Bixler-Zavala was questioned when his wife was stalked and harassed and the former revealed "she reported it to the [Austin, Texas] police department."
Chrissie Carnell-Bixler shared an Instagram Story after Emily Armstrong joined Linkin Park
Chrissie shared a lineup of posts through her Instagram Story on Friday when Linkin Park announced Emily's addition to the band. Chrissie added a screenshot of a news report by the Los Angeles Times, describing Armstrong as a "hardcore Scientologist." She further stated:
"Emily Armstrong is a true believer of the Scientology cult/criminal organization that engages in human and child trafficking, child and elder abuse, the coverups of countless SAs on children and adults. Also is a true believer of LRH who said Homos*xuals are sexual deviants on the same level p*dophiles and all homos*xuals should be sent off to a leper colony."
In another statement, Chrissie revealed how her husband was close to the late singer Chester Bennington, who was a member of Linkin Park along with musician Chris Cornell. Chrissie wrote the group replaced Bennington with a "hardcore 2nd generation Scientologist" and added:
"Chester and Chris had a beautiful bond and I'm told shared a common goal to fight human and child trafficking."
Linkin Park is yet to share a response to the controversy that erupted after Emily Armstrong joined their band and further updates are awaited.
