Who is the new singer of Linkin Park, Emily Armstrong?

Linkin Park announced plans on Thursday to regroup and play their first concerts since the tragic death of the band's frontman Chester Bennington in 2017.

The band also announced a new album, From zeroand released their first new song in seven years, “The Emptiness Machine,” which features the group's new members, Colin Brittain on drums and co-vocalist Emily Armstrong. The addition of Armstrong, lead singer of Dead Sara, to the lineup has already caused controversy.

Some of the band's fans have denounced Armstrong's alleged ties to the Church of Scientology. In 2013, she was photographed at an event at the church's “Celebrity Center” in Hollywood. A press release from the church's official media center at the time said the event was attended by more than 1,000 guests, including “prominent members of the church,” including Armstrong.

It is unclear whether and what connection Armstrong still has to the organization. But her alleged support of another Scientologist is also causing controversy among Linkin Park fans.

According to The Underground Bunker, a blog about Scientology run by journalist Tony Ortega, Armstrong was one of several people who appeared in court during Danny Masterson's 2020 trial. The wild seventies Actor who was eventually convicted of two counts of rape in 2023. The blog described Armstrong as one of “Masterson's longtime friends” who was unable to enter the courtroom at the time due to social distancing measures.

The Daily Beast has reached out to representatives for Linkin Park for comment.

The photo of Armstrong at the celebrity center shows her next to Cedric Bixler-Zavala, lead singer of The Mars Volta. Bixler-Zavala was once a member of the Church of Scientology but has since left and become an outspoken critic of the church.

His wife Chrissie Carnell Bixler – also a former Scientologist – was one of four women who accused Masterson of sexual misconduct, although he was ultimately not convicted of her rape allegations in 2023 due to a jury rigging. At the time, she said Rolling Stone in a statement that she was “devastated” that Masterson had “evaded criminal prosecution for his abhorrent behavior” toward her. He was found guilty of two additional counts of rape and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

Carnell Bixler and her husband also accused Scientology of waging a campaign of harassment against them after it emerged that she was one of Masterson's accusers. Bixler-Zavala even claimed that the church was responsible for the killing of his dog.

According to Stereogum, Bixler-Zavala posted a comment on his Instagram story on Thursday about Armstrong's alleged support for Masterson, which he had previously left on Dead Sara's account.

“I'm surprised none of you wrote a letter on behalf of Danny Masterson since your stupid singer showed up at the heats to support him. Remember Emily?” the comment allegedly read in part. It also allegedly asked if her “fans know about your friend Danny Masterson? Your friend the rapist.”