Draven Bennington, the 22-year-old son of late Linkin Park lead vocalist Chester Bennington has come out as transgender.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Draven Bennington began in a Friday Instagram post, before launching into his transition announcement. “As today is a day to celebrate love and what love truly means, whether it’s for a partner, family, or ourselves, I thought it would be the perfect time to show some love to myself.”
“For a long time, I tried to be someone, someone I truly wasn’t on the inside,” the late Linkin Park frontman’s son continued. “Ignoring it worked for a while, but continuously coming to the crossroads of being happy or being complacent was one I couldn’t keep crossing.”
Draven then revealed that since August, he has been undergoing a sex transition that includes hormone replacement therapy.
“In August of last year, I decided to take the path of happiness and being true to myself. I came out as transgender and started hormone replacement therapy, and it has been the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” Draven said.
“I do have to say I am very blessed to be able to do this, as well as having very supportive family and friends,” Bennington’s son continued. “I love each and every one of you who have shown me nothing but love and respect and see me for who I truly am.”
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Draven then turned to his mother, Samantha Olit, who in 2002 welcomed her son with Chester Bennington, to whom she was married from 1996 until their divorce in 2005.
“Especially Mom, you’ve always unconditionally loved me. I’m so blessed to be your child! I love you to the moon and back!” Draven said. “With all the support and love I’ve received, I’ve built the strength to love myself. This is why I’m choosing to no longer hide who I am.”
Bennington’s son concluded his message by stating, “Love is love,” before reiterating, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Meanwhile, Draven has also changed his Instagram bio to show “she/her” pronouns.
“I’m so proud of you,” Draven’s mother wrote in the comment section of his post, adding, “I love you with all my heart and soul. You’re my favorite human on the planet. I just want you happy and healthy forever and always.”
Chester Bennington, who committed suicide by hanging in July 2017, left behind a total of six children.
While Draven is the only child he had with his first wife, Samantha, the late rocker also shares an 18-year-old son, Tyler, and 13-year-old twin daughters, Lily and Lila, with his second wife, former Playboy model Talinda Bentley.
Chester Bennington also fathered a 28-year-old son, Jamie, with his ex-girlfriend Elka Brand, and had also adopted Brand’s 27-year-old son, Isaiah, from another relationship.
Draven is the latest child of a celebrity to get pulled into the transgender or gender identity trend that has been ever-growing among young people in recent years.
Last year, actress Jennifer Garner and actor Ben Affleck’s 15-year-old daughter Seraphina Rose got a buzz-cut hairstyle and changed her name to Fin.
In 2022, Affleck married singer Jennifer Lopez, who has a 16-year-old daughter Emme Maribel Muniz that uses gender-neutral pronouns. That same year, actress Sigourney Weaver revealed that Charlotte, the child she shares with husband Jim Simpson, is gender nonbinary.
In 2021, actress Jamie Lee Curtis’ son came out as transgender, changing his name to Ruby, with the actress saying she and her husband screenwriter Christopher Guest “have watched in wonder and pride as our son became our daughter Ruby.”
That same year, rapper Eminem’s adopted daughter Whitney came out as nonbinary, telling her TikTok followers that she has changed her name to Stevie, and is now going by “all pronouns.”
In 2020, former NBA star Dwyane Wade announced that his then-12-year-old son Zion is transgender and is now a daughter named Zaya.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
