Warning: This article contains discussion of drug addiction which some readers may find distressing
Glee might have once been a feel-good hit Hollywood series beloved by musical theatre kids across the world, but it has since become a show associated with tragedy.
A group of talented young actors made their debuts on the high-school series back in 2009 and they would all soon become extremely famous. But by the time 2020 arrived, three of them would tragically be dead.
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Cory Monteith, who played an American football star turned musical performer, tragically lost his life in 2013 during filming of the show, after mixing heroin and alcohol.
Mark Salling and Naya Rivera, two other huge stars of the comedy-drama, also died in 2018 and 2020 respectively, with the former taking his own life as he faced a prison sentence for possession of child pornography, while Rivera tragically drowned, with her final actions saving the life of her four-year-old son.
While the youngsters aren't alone in the heartbreaking number of actors and musicians who have sadly lost their lives since appearing on the show, it was perhaps Monteith's death which was the most shocking, given that his co-stars were forced to address his passing in the show itself.
And now, a heartbreaking revelation has come to light following an Investigation Discovery mini-series titled The Price of Glee, which studies how Monteith, Salling and Rivera sadly lost their lives.
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Monteith's former roommate Justin Neill spoke about how Cory's actions had changed in the months leading up to his death.
He said: "I specifically remember this being after season two, where he wanted to enjoy some part of life, but he's just non-stop going, going, going. Cory seemed like he was getting more and more neurotic, and more isolated.”
Elsewhere in the three-part documentary series, which you can watch on Discovery+, former hair stylist on the show Dugg Kirkpatrick came forward and made a distrubing allegation
The Emmy-nominated hairdresser had worked with the star on the hit Fox series and continued to cut his hair after he left the production.
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He said: “He was clean all the way up until he asked me for that haircut. He wasn't drinking, he didn't have any drugs in his system.
"But then, in the end, in the very last couple days that I saw him, he was different. He was under the influence of alcohol.”
And it seems as if Kirkpatrick believes that it was a co-star of Monteith's that pressured him into relapsing, although he refused to name them.
He added: "He said he was at a party and hadn't been drinking, and he wanted to have a drink, but he knew he shouldn't.
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"He was told by a certain cast member that night, 'If you want to have a drink, you should have a drink. I'll be here, you can trust that I'll always be here.'”
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Documentaries
James Moorhouse