Lea Michele Helping ‘Glee’ Writers Address Cory Monteith’s Death
The 'Glee' writers have a tough job ahead deciding on how to cover the death of breakout star Cory Monteith, especially since Monteith died suddenly and tragically from a drug overdose.
However, his on and offscreen love, Lea Michele, is helping the staff to portray the loss both honestly and sensitively.
While it was debated initially whether the series would portray the lethal heroin-alcohol cocktail that killed the promising young star, it's been decided that the show will in fact show the risks of drug abuse and the struggles of addiction.
"Lea wants it to reflect the truth, to warn people what can happen," a source told Us Weekly.
Fox Entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly explained that addiction can be a duplicitous disease. "You see some people struggling with addiction, it’s clear: 'He was dark, she was always a partier,'" Fox Entertainment Chairman Kevin Reilly told Billboard. "Cory was a big, open, wonderful life force. He wasn't like that."
Reilly also noted that while Monteith was open about his prior substance abuse issues, he was not "as open about it in the present."