Chester Bennington's Final Video Hours Before His Death Makes Us Miss Him Even More

Few musicians have touched the hearts of the public in recent generations like Linkin Park's Chester Bennington. It came as a tragic shock when he died by suicide on July 20, 2017, and so shortly after his friend and fellow singer, Chris Cornell, died the same way. Bennington's wife, Talinda, even thought that the Soundgarden singer's death would deter her husband from following in his friend's footsteps. Bennington didn't just leave behind his voice on powerful tracks like "Breaking the Habit," "In the End," "Numb," "Crawling," and many more — he left a signpost telling others experiencing substance abuse, depression, and related mental health issues to seek help.

In the weeks and months following Bennington's death, Talinda tweeted highly personal, heartbreaking posts on X (then Twitter). "One week ago today, I lost my soulmate and my children lost their hero — their Daddy," she wrote on July 28. "2 months today. I know it's a VERY hard day for many of you," she wrote on September 20. "Reach out to one another. Lift each other up. U r LOVED & MATTER #f***depression." In another, she posted suicide prevention hotline numbers for countries across the world, and yet another contained a picture of her and Chester on a hike. "I miss you," she captioned it.

To drive home the point about suicide prevention, she even posted a video on X from the days leading up to Chester's death. In the video, the singer is at home playing some kind of game with one of his sons and a friend. He's smiling and seems happy, which makes the footage even more poignant.

The final video of Chester Bennington isn't newly released. Chester's wife, Talinda, shared it a couple months after his death. Dating to September 16, 2017, she posted the video exactly one minute after she wrote a heads-up message on X. "My next tweet is the most personal tweet I have ever done," she said. "I'm showing this so that you know that depression doesn't have a face or a mood." 

Posted under the hashtags #f***depression and #MakeChesterProud, Talinda wrote on X that the video dates to about 36 hours before Chester's death. In it, he is sitting in a living room of some sorts — perhaps in the Bennington house, maybe while on vacation — and playing a game that involves acting like you've eaten gross food. One of Chester's three sons, possibly Tyler, is with him, though the video is over seven years old at this point and kids change quickly at that age, so we can't say for sure. There's a gentleman playing along, too — maybe a friend or family member. We also hear Talinda's voice, as she was presumably the one taking the video. 

Regardless, it's Chester's demeanor that stands out. No one who'd seen the video before he died by suicide would have guessed what was going to happen. It's not clear if Chester was contemplating the act at that exact moment, but if he was, it casts the footage in an especially telling light.

In addition to the final video of Chester Bennington's life, his wife, Talinda, posted photos and other videos leading up to his final days. In none of them does the singer seem even remotely sad. In one family photo posted on X, Chester, Talinda, and their kids are standing on a porch somewhere along a beach, looking out and laughing. "This was days b4 my husband took his own life," she wrote. "Suicidal thoughts were there, but you'd. Never kmow." There's also a video on X that Talinda took from the Linkin Park stage, where Chester is singing and walking toward her during a show. He smiles at her, turns to the audience, and continues singing.

All in all, the photos and videos of Chester's final days reveal a person who was exactly what everyone said he was: kind-hearted, caring, and sensitive. One year after his death, Talinda spoke to Kerrang! about his character. "[He was] the best father, friend and husband anyone could have," she said. "He was so special to me because he was a present and loving father to our babies and the most romantic and loving husband a woman could ever dream of ... He was my heart and soul." Judging by the response to Chester's death and the ongoing period of mourning for many Linkin Park fans, everyone else could see what Talinda saw every day. Chester's final video offers a glimpse into that world.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.