The deaths of former Glee stars Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera are explored in new three-part documentary, The Price of Glee.
Musical comedy-drama series Glee ran on Fox from May 2009 to March 2015, and featured stars like Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, Amber Riley and Dianna Agron on the cast, alongside Monteith and Rivera
The show followed the lives of members of a glee club called the New Directions at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio.
American Horror Story creator Ryan MurphyBrad Falchuk—Gwyneth Paltrow’s now husband—and Ian Brennan were the creators of Glee.
None of the show’s creators, or main cast, appear in Investigation Discovery’s The Price of Gleewhose first episode is scheduled to air on January 16, but the channel states that “cast and crew” will be involved. Rivera’s father can be seen in the trailer discussing the tragic death of his daughter.
While the show’s main cast do not appear in The Price of Gleethey have commented on the deaths of their former co-stars in the past. Newsweek has everything you need to know about what they have said.
Cory Monteith
Monteith died in 2013 at the age of 31. He was found dead in a hotel room in Canada and, at the time, police Constable Brian Montague said: “There was evidence in the room that was consistent of an drug overdose.”
His official cause of death is listed as “mixed drug toxicity, involving intravenous heroin use combined with the ingestion of alcohol.” The actor had attended rehab months before his death.
Monteith played Finn Hudson in the show and was dating his co-star Michele at the time of his death.
In January 2014, the actress, who is now married to Zandy Reich, who she shares son Ever withopened up to Teen Vogue about the loss of her former boyfriend, saying: “I somehow feel the insane love Cory and I had for each other morphed into this strength that I have right now.”
“There’s just something about knowing he’s watching everything I’m doing and feeling like I have to do everything now not just for me but for him. I also have a safety net below me—if I fall or if it’s too much, my friends and family will be there to catch me.”
Glee paid tribute to Monteith in an episode titled “The Quarterback” which featured the characters mourning the death of Finn. Michele has since revealed that she has never watched the episode back.
Every year, Michele, who has a tattoo of Monteith’s character’s name to honor him, posts a tribute to Monteith on her Instagram on the anniversary of his death. In 2022 she shared a photo of the former couple on her Instagram Story, adding a heart emoji below.
Michele is not the only one of Monteith’s former co-stars who has mourned him since his death.
Ahead of Glee‘s final season, actor Morrison told Hollywood Life: “The passing of Cory was a hard thing on all of us, but I think it’s really brought us all closer. I will look back on this time as very fond memory.”
Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz, both former Glee cast members, have also opened up about how the death of Monteith changed the show’s dynamic.
The series ran for two more years after Monteith died but Ushkowitz told US Weekly in 2022 that she felt that “when Cory died, the show died with him in many ways.”
“It became a different show…it was really hard to do and it was never the same, for me at least,” she said.
McHale agreed, saying: “People on Twitter and all these things were saying that I was, like, talking c*** 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.'”
Naya Rivera
Rivera, who played Santana Lopez on Gleedied in July 2020 at the age of 33.
On July 8, 2020, the actress and singer was declared missing after failing to return from a boating excursion on Lake Piru, California, with her son Josey, then four years old.
The boat she had rented to go on the lake was found shortly after, along with her son who was unharmed.
Rivera’s body was found on July 13, the seven-year anniversary of Monteith’s death, and her death was ruled accidental, with the investigation determining Rivera had exhausted herself saving her son’s life in the water.
Her former co-stars paid tribute to the mother of one on social media, and Heather Morris, who played Brittany on Gleewas reportedly seen at Lake Piru with friends, offering to help in the investigation.
Matthew Morrison, who played Mr. Shue, wrote on Instagram: “Naya was a such a powerful force, in both her personal life and in her work.” Later adding: “I’m confident that her positive influence will be continuously felt, and that her beautiful spirit will carry on in the lives of so many. I’m devastated by this immense loss.”
Chord Overstreet, who portrayed Sam Evans, recounted his first time meeting Rivera, telling his Instagram followers: “You Walked straight up to me, grabbed me by the face and [dragged] me around until I met every single person on set, introducing me as ‘new booty’. You were one of the first people who made me feel like family when others saw me as an outsider. I didn’t know then that you would become my family and that’s just who you were to everyone.”
Grant Gustin, who played Sebastian Smythe, shared a photo of Rivera with her son, along with the caption: “I was intimidated by her talent and presence on set, but she was always so kind and welcoming to me. So many of my Glee memories on and off set have Naya in them. She was one of a kind. My heart breaks for her family and friends.”
Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow, who guest starred on Glee and is also married to one of its creators, said: “I am in utter shock and disbelief that someone so full of life and passion and talent is no longer with us. And completely heart broken for her family.”
The Price of Glee will also explore the death of Mark Salling.
Salling was a main cast member on Glee and died by suicide in 2018 at the age of 35. At the time of his death he was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.
The Price of Glee is scheduled to air on Investigation Discovery on Monday at 9 p.m. ET. It will also be available to stream on Discovery+.