Cory Monteith, the Canadian actor, who has been making a name for himself on Fox’s hit show, “Glee” was found dead in his Vancouver hotel on Saturday, July 13. Although the cause of death is unknown, our hearts and prayers go out to Monteith and others like him who had a history of struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction.
Monteith’s Addiction Story: Why Did He Go Public?
Perhaps in reaction to his “good boy” aura as the result of his role as the football star, Finn Hudson, on “Glee,” Monteith chose to share his addiction story in 2011.
Monteith openly admits that by the time he was 13, he was skipping school and dabbling in “anything and everything” on the alcohol and drug scene, perhaps in reaction to his parent’s divorce. Monteith explains that it really wasn’t about the substances themselves—rather, it was more about him trying to find himself. For him, he felt like if he were a “bad kid,” he would stand out.
Monteith’s Rock Bottom Moment: Change Now or Go to Jail
Afraid he would die, his mother and friends staged an intervention for him at 19, but it wasn’t that treatment that helped him find himself and move on. After rehab, Monteith hit a serious rock-bottom, stealing some “significant amount of money” from a relative. His family gave him another ultimatum—“Get clean, or we’re turning you in to the police.” How to talk to your kids about alcohol.
From this point on, Monteith began to rebuild his life, turning to acting and eventually landing his break-out role on Glee.
Recent Struggles With Addiction
But as we all know, the disease of addiction never truly disappears. Just a few months ago, Monteith shocked fans and cast members alike when he “voluntarily admitted himself into a treatment facility for substance addiction.”
Monteith completed treatment in April and seemed to be a enjoying successful recovery with his co-star Lea Michele but was found dead in his hotel room on Saturday, July 13.
There are rumors that Monteith died from a drug overdose, but the official autopsy is scheduled for Monday, July 15.