At The Drive In's Cedric Bixler-Zavala & Wife Chrissie Fire At New Linkin Park Singer

CONTENT WARNING: This article contains mention of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.

As Vulture’s Craig Jenkins notes, Linkin Park’s reunion was nearly perfect. Ever since news of the band’s return surfaced yesterday (6 September), claims surrounding new singer Emily Armstrong’s alleged ties to Scientology have followed. Armstrong responded this afternoon.

Cedric Bixler-Zavala (of At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta fame) and his wife, Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, have made fiery statements on social media overnight, expressing their disapproval of Armstrong and claiming that Linkin Park’s original singer, Chester Bennington, who tragically passed away in 2017, would have been unhappy with the choice.

The couple draws from years of experience within and following their departure from the church of Scientology, and Carnell-Bixler is one of the women who accused actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson of rape. Masterson was found guilty last year, although not on her charge.

In retaliation against speaking out about Masterson and Scientology, the couple allege that members of the Church of Scientology “stalked, harassed, and intimidated” them and allegedly killed their dog. Chrissie Carnell-Bixler also alleged that Armstrong supported Masterson at his arraignment court date in 2020, a claim supported by Scientology reporter Tony Ortega.

Carnell-Bixler shared several Instagram Stories overnight about Armstrong’s alleged longstanding ties to Scientology, claiming that Bennington wouldn’t have approved of her place in Linkin Park.

“@linkinpark ‘s new lead singer is a hardcore Scientologist who supporting convicted serial rapist both in and out of court,” an Instagram story from Carnell-Bixler began.

Carnell-Bixler alleged that Armstrong is a “true believer” of Scientology, calling the religion a “cult/criminal organisation” that she claimed “engages in human and child trafficking, child and elder abuse, the coverups of countless SAs on children and adults.”

In another Instagram Story, she mentioned Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell and their relationships with her husband’s music, writing: “My husband toured with Soundgarden many times.

“I’ll never forget Chris Cornell telling a packed stadium that The Mars Volta was his favorite [sic] band. Chester Bennington and Linkin Park would always play At The Drive-In songs before going out on stage.”

Adding that Chester Bennington was a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Carnell-Bixler wrote that Bennington and Cornell “had a beautiful bond” and “shared a common goal to fight human and child trafficking.”

Carnell-Bixler alleged that Scientology is a “human and child trafficking organization” and called out the band: “Linkin Park just replaced Chester with a hardcore 2nd generation Scientologist. REST IN PEACE.”

One of Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s Instagram Stories from last year also resurfaced yesterday, with Chrissie re-posting it on her Stories overnight.

In the Story, Bixler-Zavala alleged that Armstrong “showed up to support” Danny Armstrong at his preliminary court trials. He added, “Remember Emily? Remember how your fellow scientologist goon squad surrounded one of the Jane Doe’s when she was trying to leave the elevators? The court sheriffs had to escort her away from your awful cult.”

Bixler-Zavala described Armstrong as a “born-in Scientologist” and claimed she “gets a pass” because of it. He concluded, “How do you reconcile the homophobia found in the teachings of LRH’s book Dianetics? Do your fans know about your friend Danny Masterson? Your rapist friend.”

UPDATE 1:02 PM Saturday, 7 September: Emily Armstrong responded to the couple’s claims that Chester Bennington wouldn't have approved her leading Linkin Park.

Distancing herself from Danny Masterson and sharing her position, Armstrong wrote, “ Hi, I'm Emily. I'm new to so many of you, and I wanted to clear the air about something that happened a while back.

“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. 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.

“To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes.”

You can view the Instagram Stories below.

Credit: Chrissie Carnell-Bixler via Instagram

Credit: Emily Armstrong via Instagram

The Music reached out to representatives for Linkin Park for comment but hasn’t received a response as of publication. Linkin Park haven’t responded to Bixler-Zavala and Carnell-Bixler’s allegations.

Yesterday, Linkin Park announced their first album in seven years, From Zero, during a livestream performance where they officially revealed that Emily Armstrong is their new lead vocalist alongside Mike Shinoda. The album will be released on Friday, 15 November.

In a statement, Mike Shinoda said of working with new members – Armstrong and new drummer Colin Brittain: “The more we worked with Emily and Colin, the more we enjoyed their world-class talents, their company, and the things we created. We feel really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we’ve made together. We’re weaving together the sonic touchpoints we’ve been known for and still exploring new ones.”

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