Emily Armstrong, the newly appointed vocalist for Linkin Park, has issued a statement in regards to her past public support for convicted rapist, actor Danny Masterson. Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison last September after being found guilty for raping multiple women. Armstrong was among the individuals who publicly showed support for Masterson a few years back, appearing outside the courthouse to rally for Masterson amid the early stages of his legal proceedings.
Both Armstrong and Masterson have been noted to be followers of Scientology, with Armstrong having publicly been excoriated by The Mars Volta, etc. vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala in the past over her connections to Scientology and her support for Masterson.
Cedric was also previously seen to have been acquainted with Armstrong amid his own past stint as a Scientologist. Cedric‘s wife Chrissie was previously a member of the Church Of Scientology as well, and was one of the women who came forward to accuse Masterson of raping her amid incidents said to have taken place between 2001-2003.
Last year Cedric took to the social media of Armstrong‘s then primary outfit Dead Sara to call her and her bandmates out for her support of Masterson, stating:
“I’m surprised none of you wrote a letter on Danny Mastersons behalf since your corny ass 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? The court sheriffs had to escort her away from your awful cult. Remember when we did the purification run down Emily? Were you directed to safe point me cuz of what my wife knew? Why can’t you shut your mouth during a detox program where people are going through some rough shit but your corny ass 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? Your rapist friend.”
Upon the news of Armstrong‘s new role as the replacement for the late Chester Bennington in Linkin Park being officially announced yesterday, September 05th, Cedric and Chrissie took to social media to publicly condemn the nü-metal band, citing Armstrong‘s ties to Scientology and her past support for Masterson as being highly problematic.
Now, in a statement issued tonight, Armstrong has publicly commented on her past public support for Masterson, stating:
“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.”
Armstrong did not address her connections to Scientology or status with the organization in her statement.
