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Lea Michele Opens Up About How Cory Monteith’s Death Tore the ‘Glee’ Cast Apart

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Dealing with grief isn’t something that comes with a manual, especially when it happens to someone like Lea Michele, who was both a close friend and co-star to Cory Monteith, as well as his significant other. As the star of the popular Fox series Glee, Michele played Rachel Berry alongside Monteith’s Finn Hudson for six seasons. Unfortunately, Monteith struggled with drug abuse in the past, but was said to be clean and sober during his time on the show. Tragically, he relapsed at the end of Season 4 and passed away from an accidental overdose of heroin and alcohol in 2013. The series had to find a way to continue without him, and Michele acknowledges that his death affected her relationships with the rest of the cast deeply.

During an interview on “Therapuss” with Jake Shane, Michele confessed that coping with her grief in such a public setting was not something she had anticipated. She expressed, “At 26 years old, no one handed me a manual. It was a swift lesson on more than I could ever grasp.” Michele was in a relationship for over a year when Montieth passed away, and everyone was expected to return to work just a month later. She added, “If we didn’t show up for work then people wouldn’t have jobs, and that was a heavy burden for me, so I had to push my feelings aside and just appear, so others could continue working.” When asked if this experience strengthened her relationships with the cast, she acknowledged that it did not.

To be honest, I believe it shattered beyond repair for many. However, I can’t generalize the experience of everyone. Perhaps it resonated more deeply with some individuals. As for myself, it was an extremely challenging time that left me feeling utterly shattered and broken.

‘Glee’ Cast Worked Together To Pay Tribute to Cory Monteith

In Episode 3 of Season 5 titled “The Quarterback,” the show paid a heartfelt tribute to both the character Finn and the actor Cory Monteith who played him. The narrative centered around the profound effects of Finn’s passing on the characters within the series, culminating in Lea Michele’s portrayal of Rachel Berry singing “Make You Feel My Love” as a poignant tribute to her real-life boyfriend. Throughout the episode, raw emotions were palpable, with many cast members visibly expressing their grief for their friend and fellow actor. The episode was praised by critics and attracted 7.40 million viewers along with a robust 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, making it the most-watched episode of Season 5 and the highest-rated broadcast since the second episode of Season 4.

There has been much discussion about the dynamics between Michele and her Glee co-stars, with accounts emerging after the show ended suggesting that she displayed diva-like behavior which led to conflicts with Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez) and Samantha Ware, who claimed Michele subjected her to several instances of microaggressions that made her life miserable. However, Michele has since reconnected with co-stars Darren Criss and Dianna Agron, whom she maintains are still close friends, and she acknowledges that during the time of Monteith’s demise, the team was extremely supportive of her.

I’m deeply appreciative of everyone in that place, whether they realize it or not. The entire building seemed to provide me with a tremendous amount of support during my challenging times. The crew, specifically, stood out to me. They were the unseen heroes operating the cameras day after day. To me, they felt like pillars of strength, and I could almost sense their support even when I was looking into the camera. It was as if they were keeping me upright, not just the people who appeared on the show.

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2025-05-09 21:39

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