Glee star Lea Michele
has requested for
privacy following the sudden death of boyfriend Cory Monteith. Monteith, 31, was found dead in a Vancouver hotel on Saturday, People magazine reported.
The 26-year-old Michele’s representatives said, “We ask that everyone kindly respect Lea’s privacy during this devastating time. Thank you.” Michele had supported Monteith’s decision to enter rehab for substance addiction on March 31.
Monteith, who achieved his greatest fame as the star of the Fox series “Glee,” was found dead in his hotel room Saturday afternoon by staff at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia. Monteith was due to check out of the hotel, where he had been staying since July 6, and staff went up to the room after Monteith missed the noon checkout time.
Police said Monteith had been out with people earlier, but video and electronic records from the hotel indicated he returned to his room by himself early Saturday morning.
The Fox network and the producers of “Glee,” including 20th Century Fox Television, called Monteith an exceptional performer “and an even more exceptional person.” They said he was “a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously.” 20th Century Fox Television is owned by 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News.
Outside the hotel, a makeshift memorial popped up where fans left flowers and notes commemorating the actor.
The grief at Monteith’s passing was not confined to North America. The news rocked a “Glee” fan convention in England.
The hundreds of “gleeks,” as they’re known — joined a chorus of thousands worldwide who took to social media with similar expressions about Monteith’s passing. The actor’s struggles with addiction echoed those of other young stars whose premature deaths also left young fans grieving.
“The whole day was simultaneously the best and worst experience of my life,” said Chloe Harvey, an 18-year-old fan from Portsmouth, England. “The news was devastating. No one had any idea what to say or do. It just shows how much of a truly amazing guy Cory was that everyone was so shocked and emotional about the news. Everyone was crying and sharing their stories.”
Monteith admitted himself to a treatment facility in April for substance addiction and asked for privacy as he took steps toward recovery, a representative said at the time.
Michele told People magazine that she loved and supported him and was proud he was seeking help. It was not Monteith’s first time in rehab. He also received treatment when he was 19.
“I think kids really need a place to go and feel like they belong,” he said in the video posted the site for Project Limelight, a Vancouver charity offering theater and arts programs to at-risk youth. “When I was a kid, I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. And I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me.”
Monteith served as the show’s resident hunk with a heart of gold. He played Finn Hudson, a football quarterback with two left feet who found more camaraderie in the choir room than on the football field.
After his character graduated high school, Hudson sought out to find himself before settling on what he wanted to do with his life: become a teacher and mentor. (PTI/ Agencies)