No sooner had Linkin Park announced Dead Sara singer Emily Armstrong as the reformed band’s new vocalist than a torrent of criticism emerged over her previous ties to the Church of Scientology and her past support of convicted rapist and actor Danny Masterson. Late Friday, she responded:
“Hi, I’m Emily,” she wrote in an Instagram story post. “I’m new to so many of you, and I wanted to clear the air about something that happened a while back.
“Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance, and went to one early hearing as an observer. Soon after, I realized I shouldn’t have. I always try to see the good in people, and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since.
“Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty.
“To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes.”
Masterson, a former star on the hit Fox sitcom “That 70’s Show” and in Netflix’s “The Ranch,” was sentenced last September to 30 years to life in prison, after being convicted of two of three forcible rape charges earlier in the year. Masterson was accused of raping three women at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003, which was during the time he was on “That 70’s Show.”
Leading the criticism against Armstrong were Mars Volta singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and his wife, Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, who was one of multiple women to accuse Masterson of sexual assault; he was not convicted on the basis of her allegations, but was found guilty of charges brought by two anonymous other accusers.
“Do your fans know about your friend Danny Masterson? Your rapist friend,” Bixler-Zavala wrote in a re-circulated comment posted on Dead Sara’s Instagram page last year.
In 2020, Armstrong attended one of Masterson’s court hearings in a presumed show of support.
Bixler-Zavala and Carnell-Bixler, both former Scientologists, have said the church harassed them over their allegations against Masterson, who is also a Scientologist.
He wrote on the band’s page, “I’m surprised none of you wrote a letter on Danny Mastersons behalf since your corny ass singer showed up to support him in the prelims. Remember Emily? Remember how your fellow scientologist goon squad surrounded one of the Jane Doe’s when she was trying to leave the elevators? The court sheriffs had to escort her away from your awful cult… How do you reconcile the homophobia found in the teachings of [church founder L. Ron Hubbard’s] book Dianetics?” At the time of this article’s publication, Armstrong had not responded to the Scientology comments.
Asked for comment, a rep for Linkin Park directed Variety to Armstrong’s statement. Variety will have more on this story as it develops.
