Linkin Park singer Emily Armstrong reacts to criticism over Danny Masterson support: 'I do not condone abuse'

Linkin Park's Emily Armstrong has been hit with criticism for allegedly supporting actor and convicted rapist Danny Masterson in court, and now the musician is responding on social media. 

The singer, who was announced as the new vocalist for Linkin Park on Thursday, shared a message on her Instagram story Saturday that seemed to address the backlash.

"Hi, I'm Emily. I'm new to so many of you, and I wanted to clear the air about something that happened a while back," she wrote.

Armstrong acknowledged a situation in which she supported a controversial figure in the post, but she did not mention Masterson by name. "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," she wrote. "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."

She concluded with words of support for victims of sexual abuse. "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," Armstrong wrote.

Representatives for Linkin Park declined to comment to Entertainment Weekly.

Before this week, Linkin Park had been largely inactive since playing a tribute concert to singer Chester Bennington shortly after his death in 2017. The group had not released new music in seven years aside from remixes, vault tracks, and anniversary reissues of previous albums.

The band released its first new single in seven years on Wednesday, and announced that Armstrong would take over lead vocalist duties for a forthcoming album and world tour. Fan reactions to Linkin Park's first performance with Armstrong, which was live-streamed online on Thursday, seemed largely positive — until social media users began to discuss the singer's alleged history with Masterson.

Rolling Stone and Consequence of Sound reported late this week that the Mars Volta musician Cedric Bixler-Zavala and his wife, Chrissie Carnell-Bixler — one of the women who accused Masterson of sexual assault — have been two of Armstrong's most vocal critics.

Carnell-Bixler reshared a comment her husband made last year on a post from Armstrong's other band Dead Sara. "I'm surprised none of you wrote a letter on Danny Masterson's behalf since your corny-ass singer showed up to support him in the prelims. Remember, Emily?" Bixler-Zavala wrote, per Consequence.

A representative for Bixler-Zavala did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

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Upon his initial arrest in 2020, Masterson was charged with raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003. The That '70s Show actor was released after pleading not guilty and posting bond on his $3.3 million bail. Although one set of his proceedings ended in a mistrial in 2022, Masterson was convicted on two out of three counts of rape in a retrial in May 2023. (The third, unconvicted count was Carnell-Bixler's, after the jury ended in an 8-4 deadlock.)

Other acquaintances of Masterson, including his former '70s costars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, came under fire for supporting the convicted rapist throughout his trials. Kutcher and Kunis ultimately resigned from their positions at an anti-child-sex-abuse organization as a result of the controversy.