Linkin Park Sued by Ex-Band Member Over Alleged Unpaid Royalties Years After He Was Kicked Out
Nov. 9 2023, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
A former bassist for Linkin Park has filed a bombshell lawsuit against the band claiming he was never paid a dime for his work.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Kyle Christner sued band members Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, Brad Delson, Joe Hahn, and Warner Records.
In the suit, Christner said he was a member of Linkin Park in 1999 when the bank “signed its first major record deal.”
Christner said the late Chester Bennington joined the band shortly after him.
Christner said he collaborated and recorded numerous songs with the band — including on the 1999 EP Hybrid Theory. He said the band kicked him out of the band in October 1999 without an explanation.
He said he had no further contact with the band members after being fired.
Christner said the band released their first studio album Hybrid Theory in 2000. The EP and the album used the same name.
Christner said the EP was reissued a year after the album, but his name was removed from the credits.
In 2020, he said Linkin Park released a 20th-anniversary box set edition of Hybrid Theory without crediting him despite his work being on the album.
Christner said he is a joint creator of many tracks in the box set. “For example, he played bass on and collaborated in composing “Could Have Been,” a song that had never previously been released in any form and now has nearly a million views on YouTube alone. An industry professional,” his lawsuit read.
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“The Box set includes, among other things, rare and previously unreleased tracks on three collections (presented as compact disks in the physical edition) respectively titled Forgotten Demos, B-Side Rarities, and LPU Rarities,” his suit read. “There is no other attribution to Christner in the Box Set, even though he plays on recordings on all three CDs and the EP.”
Christner said he has “never been paid a penny for his work with Linkin Park, nor has he been properly credited, even as Defendants have benefitted from his creative efforts.”
In his lawsuit, he said a member of Linkin Park’s management contacted him in April 2023. Christner said the man told him he was owed royalties for the 20th anniversary release.
Christner demanded to know how much he was being offered before he signed the paperwork. Eventually, he said the rep went silent.
The musician said Linkin Park has since denied his work appeared on the album.
“Defendants have never given Christner proper credit for his creative contributions to Linkin Park or named him in any copyright registration,” the suit said. “Defendants have wrongfully profited at Christner’s expense.”
Christner’s lawsuit demands Linkin Park turn over all accounting records for their record sales and unspecified damages.
Back in 2017, Linkin Park’s lead singer Chester Bennington died by suicide. The singer struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years.