Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington's wife opens up about his suicide: 'We thought he was okay'

The Numb singer died on 20 July 2017

Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington's wife has said she thought her husband was “in a good place” in the time leading up to his suicide.

The 41-year-old was found dead in his home near Los Angeles on 20 July 2017.

In a new podcast titled “Life After Suicide”, Talinda Bennington, opens about her husband’s death, discussing everything from his state of mind to how she and their children are coping.

Speaking to podcast host and ABC News' chief medical correspondent Dr Jennifer Ashton, Talinda revealed that she thought Chester was “in a good place” in the weeks before his death.

“We just thought he was okay", Talinda says.

“I can't emphasise [that] enough. If you knew Chester, you would know that he was in a good place, in such a good place."

“In some of the interviews he had given before he died he speaks about what was going on inside of his head in these dark moments and the fact that he was speaking about them was a huge step forward in his mental health.”

The mother-of-three also speaks about how she was impacted by the tragedy, saying that it felt like she “went from living one life to living another in a split second”.

Talinda recalls spending the days following her husband’s suicide lying on the floor of their home, crying so much that she “couldn’t breathe”.

However, she says it was her children that prompted her to try and change her mindset.

“I could hear my kids downstairs playing and it made me happy that they were outside playing and trying to have a good day,” Talinda says.

“It seemed like they were okay but they’re not because they’re mums upstairs in a mess on the floor.

“So, in that moment I got up and I took a shower and that’s when my mindset changed. I thought ‘I’m not going to stay stuck in despair and I’m going to move through the grief’.“

In the two years since Chester's passing, Talinda says she has made a conscious effort to not “stay stuck in despair,” and that interacting with grieving Linkin Park fans on social media has helped her do that.

The 42-year-old said fans were reaching out to her on Twitter in the days following Chester's death and that, because she couldn’t keep up with the influx of messages, she called on fans to “lift each other up” by retweeting their posts.

While Talinda says she is improving day-by-day, she also admits there are some things she still finds challenging, such as listening to Linkin Park songs.

“To be honest I can’t listen to his voice. I’ve walked out of restaurants when I hear the first note,” she says.

“I'll jump from the back seat and change the station, I'll jump out of the car if I have to.

“That's just a visceral reaction I still have to this day ... it's just too painful.”

For confidential support with mental health or suicidal feelings, you can contact The Samaritans on their free, 24-hour phone support by calling 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org.