Getty Brian Welch of Korn.
Brian “Head” Welch of the band, Korn, has provoked controversy with a Facebook post that argues Chester Bennington took the “cowardly way out” by committing suicide.
Bennington, 41, the frontman of the band Linkin Park, took his own life by hanging himself in Los Angeles on July 20. Bennington committed suicide on the birthday of his close friend, Chris Cornell, of Soundgarden, who committed suicide in May.
While some stuck with offering condolences or expressing grief, Welch penned a raw post on Facebook that argued suicide is cowardly. He wrote:
Honestly, Chester’s an old friend who we’ve hung with many times, and I have friends who are extremely close to him, but this truly p*ssing me off! How can these guys send this message to their kids and fans?! I’m sick of this suicide sh*t! I’ve battled depression/mental illness, and I’m trying to be sempethetic (sic), but it’s hard when you’re p*ssed! Enough is enough! Giving up on your kids, fans, and life is the cowardly way out!!!
I’m sorry, I know meds and/or alcohol may have been involved, I’m just processing like all of us and I know we are all having some of the same thoughts/feelings.
Lord, take Chester in your arms and please re-unite him with his family and all of us one day. Be with his wife and kids with your grace during this difficult time.
Here’s a screenshot of Welch’s post:
After some online criticized Welch’s remarks, the Korn guitarist posted a follow-up note that reads, “I didn’t mean to sound insensitive about Chester. Just dealing with a range of emotions today. Love you Chester. I’m pissed that you did this, but I know this could have been me back in the day after getting wasted one night.”
GettyChester Bennington.
Welch then doubled down on the point. He posted a video in a darkened room, in which he addressed Bennington’s suicide further.
“You know, I got mad, and sad and grieving… I just don’t want it to happen anymore, you know,” he said in the video. “Don’t get the rope or whatever and put it around your neck, no more….just nobody do it anymore. I’m just at that point where it’s too much. Chris Cornell’s death… it was just really brutal, and then, as I’m feeling better or whatever, time’s passed and getting over that or whatever, and I wake up to hear that an old friend did the same thing that Chris did. It just shocked me…”
You can watch his video here:
Reaction to Welch’s comments varied. Some felt he was speaking the truth, and others thought he was being insensitive.
Wrote one man on his wall, “Steven James Head, I too like you and Chester and Chris have the same demons, however, I must say, I didn’t take what you said as being insensitive, its called being real and saying the truth, my dad did himself in, and I wish I could of helped him and he would have got help… Love you man, thanks for being real…..”
However, on the other side, people felt that Welch’s timing was insensitive.
“It was completely insensitive. Chester was at his lowest point in his life and you call him a coward?? Go educate yourself on mental illness because you clearly have no idea or you’re speaking out of anger in which case you should step away from social media until you can deal with this better,” wrote one woman on his wall, echoing the other side.
You can read more about Bennington’s death here: