Chester Bennington's wife shares family photo days before he killed himself

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Chester BenningtonImage source, Getty Images

The wife of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, who killed himself in July, has released an intimate family photo taken days before he died.

It shows Talinda, Chester and three of their children on holiday and shows the frontman smiling.

His wife said she wanted to try to raise awareness of depression and called on people to #MakeChesterProud.

In the post, Talinda Bennington explains how suicidal thoughts "were there" but people would never know.

Image source, Twitter/Talinda Bennington

Chester Bennington hanged himself at his LA home in July.

The 41-year-old had struggled throughout his life with drugs and alcohol and the trauma of child abuse.

A few months ago, he spoke about suicide in an interview with Newsbeat.

The singer referred to a friend who had apparently tried to take his own life.

Image source, Reuters

Chester Bennington was also close friends with Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell, who took his own life in May.

"It was really hard and really confusing and really sad," he said. "Sometimes it just feels like life is testing you."

The singer was buried in a private funeral service attended by around 200 relatives, friends and fellow musicians at the end of July.

This Instagram post was put up by former Of Mice & Men singer Austin Carlile, who went to the funeral., external

The band released their latest pop-orientated album, One More Light, in May and earlier in the year performed in the UK in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

They were due to continue their tour in support of the album in North America days after Chester's death, but the tour dates were cancelled.

Formed in 1996, Linkin Park have sold more than 70 million albums worldwide and won two Grammy Awards.

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