How Cory Monteith Died: Lea Michele Misses Glee Co-Star ‘Every Day’ 10 Years Later
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10 years after his tragic death, Glee fans are giving tribute to the man who played Finn Hudson on the show. How Cory Monteith died shook up the world of Glee and every person who starred in the Fox show misses their dear co-star.
On July 13, 2023, Lea Michele who starred as his love interest Rachel Berry in the show, made a tribute post on Instagram. “Hey you. 10 years. It feels like only yesterday that you were here and yet a million years ago all at the same time. I hold all of our memories in my heart where they will stay safe and never forgotten. We miss you every day and will never forget the light you to brought to us all. I miss you big guy. I hope you found Taylor up there and are playing the drums together. 🤍” Michele was dating Monteith at the time of his death and referred to drummer Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters who died in 2022.
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So how did Cory Monteith die? Read more below to find out.
How did Cory Monteith die?
How did Cory Monteith die? According to the Vancouver coroner, Cory Monteith died of combined heroin and alcohol toxicity. The coroner reported that no foul play was suspected, and the 31-year-old actor had been open and honest about battling an addiction problem in the past—which, in many ways, makes the news all the more tragic. His rep confirmed the news in a statement: “We are so saddened to confirm that the reports on the death of Cory Monteith are accurate. We are in shock and mourning this tragic loss.”
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He was found in his hotel room in Vancouver, Canada. Monteith was ending a seven-day stay, but failed to check out and was discovered on the floor of his room. He “was clearly deceased and resuscitation was not attempted,” the report noted.
At the time of his death, Taylor Swift tweeted “Speechless. And for the worst reason” upon hearing about Monteith’s death, and Rihanna also weighed in on the tragic news, saying: “Cory Monteith, may your spirit be at peace, and may you fly with the angels… Heartbreaking, my prayers are with all of his loved ones!”
The first episode of season 5 of the show was a tribute to Cory Monteith. The episode was comprised of vignettes of the cast members performing homages to Monteith’s character Finn, whose death was left a mystery on the show.
Heather Morris posted a tribute to her co-star three years after his death. “Three years ago my best friend wasabout to get married, I was 7 months pregnant and was delivered the news that Cory had passed,” she wrote. “I was weary to get too emotional in fear that I would go into labor too early. Not only was cory the most genuine, always the guy to stop and say hi to fans, but he made everyone around him laugh….obv this photo is proof. He was our family. We miss u bud. #3yearswithoutcory“
Glee co-stars Jenna Ushkowitz and Kevin McHale who host the podcast And That’s What You REALLY Missed told Us Weekly that the show was never the same after Monteith’s death. “I feel like when Cory died, the show died with him in many ways,” Ushkowitz who played the character Tina said. “It became a different show … it was really hard to do and it was never the same, for me at least.” She continued, ““He was the heart of our show. [Monteith’s character] Finn was the heart of the show and Cory was the heart of our group.”
Kevin McHale who played Artie Abrams on the show, said he received “flack” for saying that the show changed without his character. “People on Twitter and all these things were saying that I was, like, talking crap about the show. I’m like, ‘No, no, no. I just said the show was never the same after Cory died because obviously it was not,’” he told Us Weekly. He also talked about how the cast didn’t talk about their grief openly at the time. “When you’re in the middle of it, I think everyone, it’s just, you’re barely hanging on [but] keeping it together, being professional and just, you know, keeping your head down,” he reflected.
According to a 2023 report by Katie Couric Media, one’s mental health is often affected by grief. “It takes a long time to really enable the brain to understand what things are like now. What does it mean for my life now that this person is no longer here? How should I behave in the future? What goals and plans do I make now that my life is so completely different?” Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor told KCM.
5 years after his death, his mother Ann McGregor opened up about her son’s death and his drug addiction. “A part of me died when Cory did,” McGregor told People. “My world stopped and I didn’t think I’d ever get up from it.” Monteith was 13 years old when he began experimenting with drugs and alcohol.
“He was a very vulnerable young man all the way through his life,” says McGregor. “I raised him to be honest and open and I raised him with love. But I did not teach him about the other side of the world. There’s a bad side out there.” His mother checked him into rehab when he was 15 and 19. “I realized that rehab is not the answer,” says McGregor. “You have to get these children before they get into that stuff. I never had the power to stop him.”
“He didn’t want to die,” she said. His mother visits her son’s ashes, which are scattered on a peaceful beach in British Columbia, on a regular basis. “There’s no doubt about that. He was looking forward to his future. And he had so much to live for.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, help is available. Call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for free, confidential support.
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