06 December 2017
Newsdesk
Mike Shinoda has cleared up an incorrect report that late frontman Chester Bennington had the drug MDMA (ecstasy) in his system when he died.
Bennington committed suicide by hanging in July (17), after battling depression and previously suffering addictions.
On Tuesday (05Dec17) news outlet TMZ reported that toxicology results showed the singer had a small amount of alcohol, as well as MDMA - in his body when he ended his life, suggesting he had relapsed after six months of sobriety.
However, Bennington's bandmate Shinoda was quick to clear things up and reveal mistakes made in the article, which has since been edited.
"Just clearing this up: TMZ erroneously printed CB had MDMA in his system when he passed. That was incorrect, they misread the report. They have since corrected their piece, see below. I hope other publications have the decency to do the same," he wrote on Twitter.
The TMZ piece now features the line, "Two subsequent tests did not detect the drug, and the ultimate conclusion was Chester was not under the influence of drugs when he died."
It's also thought authorities at the scene found a bottle of prescription sedative Zolpidem (also known as Ambien) in his bedroom, along with an empty bottle of Stella Artois beer and a pint glass less than half full of Corona.
Before commenting on the false report about Bennington, Shinoda had re-posted a tweet about Music Minds Matter, a phone line set up by leading independent charity Help Musicians UK.
"We’re proud to announce the launch of Music Minds Matter, our 24/7 mental health support line and service for the music industry. If you need someone to talk to or need ongoing support, call 0808 802 8008 for free #MusicMindsMatter," the Help Musicians UK tweet reads.
The service will offer everything from emotional support to counselling for musicians and people working in the music industry suffering with mental health issues.
