The afternoon of September 4th flooded timelines and feeds alike with news of Linkin Park's comeback, highlighted with the introduction of new lead Emily Armstrong. However, rave reviews quickly gave way to controversy with the resurgence of several photos and posts linking Armstrong to convicted rapist and former actor Danny Masterson as well as the Church of Scientology; in 2020, Armstrong attended one of Masterson’s court hearings in a presumed show of support.

Most notably, At The Drive In/The Mars Volta vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and his wife Chrissie Carnell-Bixler extensively posted to Instagram about Armstrong's alleged support of fellow Scientologist Danny Masterson during his trial; Masterson was later sentenced to an indefinite period of 30 years to life in prison.

On September 5th, Armstrong posted the following statement to her Instagram Story:

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.
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.

No other current or former members of Linkin Park have addressed the controversy at this time.