Eight days after Linkin Park musician Chester Bennington committed suicide, his widow, Talinda Bennington, is trying to make sense of the tragedy that has devastated their family.
"One week ago, I lost my soul mate and my children lost their hero—their Daddy. We had a fairytale life and now it has turned into some sick Shakespearean tragedy. How do I move on? How do I pick up my shattered soul? The only answer I know is to raise our babies with every ounce of love I have left," Talinda tells E! News in a statement. "I want to let my community and the fans worldwide know that we feel your love. We feel your loss as well. My babies are so young to have lost their daddy. And I know that all of you will help keep his memory alive."
The 41-year-old singer "was a bright, loving soul with an angel's voice. And now he is pain-free singing his songs in all of our hearts," she says. "May God bless us all and help us turn to one another when we are in pain. Chester would've wanted us to do so. Rest in peace, my love."
Chester and Talinda, a former Playboy model, got married in 2006 and later welcomed three children. The "Numb" singer has three more children from previous relationships with Elka Brand and Samantha Marie Olit. After Chester's death, Linkin Park canceled its summer tour.
On Monday, Chester's bandmates—Rob Bourdon, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell, Joe Hahn and Mike Shinoda—published an open letter on Facebook expressing their shared grief. "The shockwaves of grief and denial are still sweeping through our family as we come to grips with what has happened," they wrote. "You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realized. In the past few days, we've seen an outpouring of love and support, both public and private, from around the world. Talinda and the family appreciate it, and want the world to know that you were the best husband, son, and father; the family will never be whole without you."
"Talking with you about the years ahead together, your excitement was infectious. Your absence leaves a void that can never be filled—a boisterous, funny, ambitious, creative, kind, generous voice in the room is missing," Bourdon, Delson, Farrell, Hahn and Shinoda added. "We're trying to remind ourselves that the demons who took you away from us were always part of the deal. After all, it was the way you sang about those demons that made everyone fall in love with you in the first place. You fearlessly put them on display, and in doing so, brought us together and taught us to be more human. You had the biggest heart, and managed to wear it on your sleeve.Our love for making and performing music is inextinguishable. While we don't know what path our future may take, we know that each of our lives was made better by you. Thank you for that gift. We love you, and miss you so much."