PRICE OF GLEE
Inside the Glee ‘curse’ from Naya Rivera’s tragic drowning death to Cory Monteith’s drug overdose
A DARK cloud has loomed over the pop-culture hit series Glee, which has seen many ex-cast members die from drug overdoses and suicide.
Now, a three-part limited documentary, The Price of Glee, will take a deep dive into the Golden Globe-winning FOX series.
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The ID and Discovery+ docuseries will take viewers down memory lane about how burst onto the scene, shattering records with its fresh-faced performers.
The show launched the careers of its cast members , and into superstardom.
However, their lives were eventually cut short in tragic circumstances.
The series, which premieres on January 16, features interviews with Naya's father, George, Monteith's roommate Justin Neill, as well as fellow actors and employees who covered the productions during the show's six-season run.
NAYA RIVERA
In July 2020, after she went swimming with her son on a rented boat in Lake Piru - 60 miles north of .
Her then four-year-old son, , was .
According to , citing sources, the child told authorities that his mother had "jumped into the water but didn't come back up."
Authorities reportedly found her life jacket still in the boat.
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The 33-year-old mother's body was found five days later on July 13, 2020, floating near the surface of the lake.
An later ruled her cause of death as an accidental "drowning," according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner.
The actress, who starred as Santana Lopez, faced problems in her personal life following the end of the award-winning show.
In 2017, Naya was arrested and charged with domestic battery after allegedly assaulting her actor ex-husband Ryan Dorsey in an argument over their child.
The charge was dropped after Ryan told prosecutors he no longer wanted to proceed with the case.
Naya's death in 2020 was the latest tragedy to hit the former cast of the musical show, which aired from 2009 until 2015.
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MARK SALLING
The series' most controversial actor Salling, 35, was found dead hanging in the woods in January 2018.
reported that Salling had taken his own life just weeks before he was due to be jailed for possession of 50,000 child abuse images.
Authorities said Salling, who played Noah "Puck" Puckerman in all six seasons, could have been dead for some time before his body was found near an LA baseball field.
He had pleaded guilty to possession of child abuse images in 2017 and was awaiting sentencing after authorities were reportedly tipped off by an ex-girlfriend.
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CORY MONTEITH
In another shocking incident, actor Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on the show, died at the height of the success in July 2013.
The body of the Canadian actor, 31, was found in his hotel room after he consumed a "mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol," authorities said.
An autopsy conducted by the British Columbia Coroners Service confirmed the findings and revealed that Monteith also had codeine and morphine in his system at the time of his death.
The Glee star had a history of substance abuse, dating back to when he was 13.
Just months before his death, Monteith's publicist announced in March of that year that the actor admitted himself into a treatment facility for substance abuse.
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GLEE CAST
Following the death of Naya, reports emerged that the set of Glee was not always a harmonious place to work.
In June 2020, actress Samantha Ware slammed star Lea Michele on , claiming she made her time on the show “a living hell.”
Multiple cast members with similar allegations of "bullying" against the 33-year-old Glee star.
An insider revealed to that had a “real wake-up call” after the brutal allegations.
“It’s never easy to hear people speak about you this way. It’s a total shock,” the source said.
Someone who worked with her in the past added: “Lea was a b***h to a lot of people who are now taking the opportunity to come forward.
“She may not be the nicest person, but she’s not racist, sexist or transphobic.
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“I would say she has behavioral issues that she’s dealing with.
Season four cast member Becca Tobin suffered a personal tragedy when her boyfriend, nightclub entrepreneur Matt Bendik was found dead in his hotel room in July 2014 at the age of 35.
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