A former Glee crew member has alleged that Cory Monteith was pressured into drinking by those closest to him, shortly before his tragic death.
It’s not the only allegation to have come out about the cast of Glee, following the release of The Price of Glee docuseries back in January 2023.
Even more shockingly, the former stylist claimed that it was one of Monteith's former co-stars who convinced him to relapse.
Prior to his death in 2013, the Canadian star had been recovering from both heroin and alcohol addiction - having first experimented with drugs at just 13 years old.
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After being released from rehab in April 2013, the actor tweeted about his admission and thanked fans, telling them: “sending out big love to everyone. thank you for the continued support! It means the world to me! :)"
Despite being on the road to sobriety, Monteith would overdose just a few months later in July.
As fans around the world celebrate what would have been the actor’s birthday today (11 May), an interview has resurfaced in which a former crew member alleged that Monteith was encouraged to fall off the wagon by a co-star.
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Hair stylist Dugg Kirkpatrick made the allegation during an interview with The Daily Beast.
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.
“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,” revealed Kirkpatrick, adding: “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.”
Having been tempted by those around him, the Glee actor was seemingly more willing to take risks with his health.
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Continuing, Kirkpatrick told the outlet: “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. 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.”
It was this ‘permission’, that the stylist believes lead to Monteith’s untimely death, with the then-31-year-old confused about what to do.
While Kirkpatrick refused to reveal which cast member was responsible, he did reveal that the actor’s behaviour became increasingly concerning.
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Reflecting on the period before Monteith’s death, his roommate Justin Neill said: “I specifically remember this being after Season 2, 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.”
The Price of Glee is available to stream exclusively on Discovery +
Topics: Health, Drugs, Film and TV, Celebrity