Monteith, 31, was found dead in his room at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel at noon yesterday (8pm GMT).
His body was found by hotel staff after he failed to meet his check out time. He had been dead for a number of hours before he was discovered. A cause of death has not yet been identified, although police said there were no indications of foul play. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday.
Monteith – who had been dating co-star Lea Michele for over a year – had been out on Friday night but had returned to the room alone, police confirmed. Vancouver Police Acting Chief Doug LePard told a news conference that “There were others with Mr Monteith in his room earlier last night, but video and fob key entries show him returning to his room by himself in the early morning hours and we believe he was alone when he died.
“As was the case in countless homes, I watched Glee regularly with my daughters, and I know there will be shock and sadness in many households with the news of his tragic death.
The Canada-born actor first appeared in Glee as Finn Hudson in 2009. His struggles with drug and alcohol addiction have meant that he was admitted to rehab when he was 19 after a family intervention. On 31st March it was announced that he had voluntarily admitted himself into a treatment facility for substance addiction, leaving on 26th April 2013. Talking about his difficulties with substance abuse in 2011, he told Parade that he was “lucky to be alive.”
Officials at the television network Fox have released a statement alongside executives at Glee, saying “We are deeply saddened by this tragic news. Cory was an exceptional talent and an even more exceptional person. He was a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.
Many of his co-stars have reacted to the news of his death on Twitter, with Glee headmaster actor Iqbal Theba tweeting “OMG!! My Cory…” and Kristin Chenoweth tweeting “RIP CoryMontieth. You will be loved. Always.”
16/07/2013, 22:12
UPDATE: Though the full report investigating Cory Monteith’s sudden death hasn’t been delivered yet, the Coroners Service of British Columbia has determined the cause of death: “Post-mortem testing, which included an autopsy and toxicological analysis, found that Mr. Monteith, aged 31, died of a mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol.”
