Talinda Bennington/Instagram
Chester Bennington‘s widow Talinda Bennington is remembering her late husband on what would have been his 46th birthday.
On Sunday, Talinda posted an old photo of Chester holding a birthday present while flashing a big smile to her Instagram page.
“Happy Birthday my love!” she began her heartfelt note. “We miss you so much. The pain doesn’t get any easier but you get used to it is what they say. I’m not sure I believe that at all. There’s no getting used to this type of grief.”
“I’m doing my best to raise our babies the way we always talked about,” Talinda continued. “You were my other half and it is so hard walking without you. I love you and we are celebrating you today.”
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Chester died by suicide at age 41 in July of 2017. Following his death, Talinda launched the nonprofit 320 Changes Direction in an effort to “change the culture about mental health, mental illness, and wellness,” according to its website.
Talinda and Chester shared three children together — son Tyler Lee, and twin daughters, Lily and Lila. The Linkin Park singer was also father to three other children from previous relationships, including one adoption.
During a 2019 episode of the ABC News podcast Life After Suicide, Talinda opened up about her late husband, telling the network’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton that she thought he had reached a “good place” following years of struggling with substance abuse and depression.
“We just thought he was okay,” she said. “I can’t emphasize enough. If you knew Chester, you would know that he was in a good place, in such a good place.”
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Rather than staying “stuck in despair,” Talinda added that interacting with Linkin Park fans on social media helped her through the early stages of grief.
RELATED: Chester Bennington’s Widow Shares Video of Him Happy Before Suicide
“They were reaching out, saying how sad they were and how they didn’t think they could go on because Chester couldn’t,” she said. “And I knew that that’s the last thing Chester would’ve wanted.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
