Glee's controversies and tragedies will be explored in a Discovery+ docuseries

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https://www.indiewire.com/2022/10/gl...ehavior%20from

When “Glee” premiered on Fox in 2009, it instantly became a ratings success and an object of intense fandom. But between the deaths of young stars Cory Monteith, Mark Salling and Naya Rivera, and the allegations of on-set bullying on the part of series lead Lea Michele, the show has become just as well known for the drama surrounding its production as its actual plotlines.

Those controversies will be explored in a new three-part documentary series ordered by the streamer Discovery+. Currently untitled, the series is produced by Ample Entertainment, best known for producing documentary series such as this year’s “The Invisible Pilot” on HBO. ID Productions serves as an additional producer on the docuseries.

The series will also address many of the controversies and tragedies surrounding various cast members, including the death of Monteith in the middle of the series from a heroin overdose, Salling's conviction on charges of child pornography and subsequent suicide, and the accusations of racism and poor behavior from from Michele from several of her cast members.

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The Price of Glee: ID Docuseries Sheds New Light on the Cast's Biggest Scandals and Tragedies — Watch Trailer

[Yong Fang]

I never watched Glee.

Monteith was a drug addict who died messing with a very dangerous and lethal drug. Not judging, I and millions of people have drug issues. It is real easy to get caught up into and be addicted.

Salling was a pedophile and a pervert and he did the world a favor by killing himself. Supposedly the cops found literal thousands of photographs of toddlers in sexual poses in his home. Toddlers to kindergrarten babies. He didnt want to end up in prison as a "chomo" and get beat up everyday for years and possibly killed. I dont have any children (I am a step-grandfather to two three year old boys however) and I love all children.

Saying that, everyone is a racist. You may think you are not, but you are. If we werent, rich neighborhoods and churches would be integrated. No one wants to send their child to a school where they will be the only ones of their race. Ever walk down the street and cross the street because you dont want to pass by someone? Why is that?

I did like that big lesbian woman though. Not enough to watch Glee however.

[JamesG]

Kevin McHale Slams "The Price of Glee" Docu-Series, Denies "Glee" Cast Involvement
by Emlyn Travis
December 10, 2022


Kevin McHale is setting the record straight on the "Glee" cast's involvement in the upcoming ID docu-series "The Price of Glee".

After writer Ashley Ray-Harris tweeted earlier this week that the hit Fox musical series' cast and crew would be featured in the three-part documentary, McHale swiftly shot down the idea and slammed the project Friday night.

"Show me this 'cast' you speak of," he tweeted. "This is [trash can emoji]" McHale continued, "This was the nice version, ftr. Don't make me speak on this again."




Despite Ray-Harris' claim, none of the original cast or creator Ryan Murphy are involved in "The Price of Glee".

Instead, a press release for the series notes that it will speak with "relatives and friends of Glee cast members; those who were on the set and close to it such as set decorators, hairdressers, stylists, and publicists; and entertainment reporters who covered the phenomenon."

https://ew.com/tv/glee-kevin-mchale-...t-involvement/

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The Major Problem With The Upcoming Glee Documentary Series

A three-part documentary series titled The Price of Glee will premiere in January on Discovery Investigation and has already stirred up controversy.

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Originally Posted by JamesG

Kevin McHale Slams "The Price of Glee" Docu-Series, Denies "Glee" Cast Involvement
by Emlyn Travis
December 10, 2022


Kevin McHale is setting the record straight on the "Glee" cast's involvement in the upcoming ID docu-series "The Price of Glee".

After writer Ashley Ray-Harris tweeted earlier this week that the hit Fox musical series' cast and crew would be featured in the three-part documentary, McHale swiftly shot down the idea and slammed the project Friday night.

"Show me this 'cast' you speak of," he tweeted. "This is [trash can emoji]" McHale continued, "This was the nice version, ftr. Don't make me speak on this again."




Despite Ray-Harris' claim, none of the original cast or creator Ryan Murphy are involved in "The Price of Glee".

Instead, a press release for the series notes that it will speak with "relatives and friends of Glee cast members; those who were on the set and close to it such as set decorators, hairdressers, stylists, and publicists; and entertainment reporters who covered the phenomenon."

https://ew.com/tv/glee-kevin-mchale-...t-involvement/

Glee star Jenna Ushkowitz warns viewers over new docuseries Price of Glee

The star, who played Tina Cohen-Chang in the popular FOX comedy-drama series, feels controversies and off-screen dramas are "tough to talk about".

She believes Glee should just be celebrated for promoting LGBTQ representation on the small screen and says she had an overall positive experience on the show.

Two central lines in the new series will be actor Cory Monteith's fatal heroin overdose in 2013, and allegations actress Lea Michele created "a toxic work environment".

Jenna says she is aware of problems on the show and is ready to set the record straight on what allegations may arise through her podcast with co-star Kevin McHale.

The actress, 34, told The U.S. Sun on camera at an event in LA: "It is tough to talk about it in general because those were our friends," adding that viewers need to "proceed with caution."

She added that interest in the show is peaking again in "new generations" to a resurgence on Disney Plus and Hulu.

But Jenna insists her experiences will always be positive.

"We are so grateful that people are still able to enjoy it," she said.

"So we know it will continue to be talked about in all the ways. You have to choose which ones you look at. I am choosing to look at the ones that serve me."

''Working on Glee we were a tight-knit family and still are. There is no family that doesn't fight.

"There is no family that didn't go through things. Not everybody has to stay friends. Not everybody stays in touch. We all grew up on that show, and we all have families, new careers, and new ventures.

"For me, that experience was absolutely incredible. I know what it did for me and my career. I just had the best time doing it.

"We were in our 20s living at the top of the world. I was just so grateful for the experience and all the friends I came home with."

The Price of Glee premieres on January 16 and will also delve into the sudden deaths of Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez), and Mark Salling (Noah “Puck” Puckerman).

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https://www.etonline.com/the-price-o...iths-struggles

The Price of Glee, a three-part limited documentary, is pulling back the curtain on the cultural phenomenon that was Glee.

When the high school musical series from Ryan Murphy first debuted in 2015, it quickly broke down barriers, set records and changed the music and TV industry. It also made super stars out of its ensemble cast, including Cory Monteith, Mark Salling and Naya Rivera, whose lives were eventually cut short in very different, very tragic ways, leaving a dark cloud looming over the series that became rocked by scandals, gossip and more.

In the series, which premieres Monday, Jan. 16 on ID and discovery+, relatives and friends of the Glee cast, including Rivera's father George and Monteith's roommate Justin Neill, as well as those who were on set or covered the production during its six-season run, are speaking out.

While ET has reached out to Lea Michele's team about allegations made about her onset behavior, she previously issued an apology after Samantha Marie Ware came forward with her own accusations against Michele. Meanwhile, several cast members have slammed the docuseries. "This is [trash emoji]," Kevin McHale wrote on Twitter ahead of its premiere.

That said, here are some of the biggest revelations from all three episodes.

Hairstylist Claims Someone Told Cory Monteith to Start Drinking Again

Monteith died on July 13, 2013, after a drug overdose during a trip back home to Canada shortly before production began on season 5. It was during the weeklong visit that he allegedly started drinking again before his body was found in a hotel room with drugs and alcohol.

Leading up to his death, Monteith got his hair cut by Dugg Kirkpatrick, the show's hair department head, who regularly styled many of male co-stars' hair on and off the set of Glee. It was during that session that Kirkpatrick recalled the last conversation he had with the actor.

Kirkpatrick claimed that Monteith attended a party where there was alcohol and resisted drinking at the time. "But he was told by a certain cast member that same night, 'You know what? If you want to have a drink, you should have a drink. I'll be here. You can always trust that I'll be here for you,'" the hairstylist recalled.

Apparently, that upset Monteith, but he started to drink again "because he was given permission by somebody that he loved," Kirkpatrick continued. While he refused to "name names," Kirkpatrick remembered talking to the actor about it for days at a time. "I think it set him on a path to destruction."

Cory Monteith Had a Stalker and Struggled With Fame

The show's fandom quickly spiraled out of control, and became an ongoing issue for the stars of Glee. At one point, a fan ran up and kissed Chris Colfer on the mouth without his consent. Eventually, the production was forced to build a wall from the trailers to the set so fans couldn't bother them during filming.

"That tunnel is real," said Stephen Kramer Glickman, Cory Monteith's friend, while the actor's roommate, Justin Neill, remembered how things at home got even worse. Neill said that they had to put up security cameras outside their apartment because Monteith had a female stalker at the time. The security issue eventually led to the actor moving out.

Before Monteith moved out, Neill recalled how much his roommate didn't know how to handle being famous and was stressed out about keeping up with all the dancing and singing on the set of Glee. According to friends and members of the crew, the actor became increasingly neurotic and isolated – and eventually started disappearing from the set or had his stand-in rehearse with the cast.

Cast and Crew Detail Lea Michele's Alleged Onset Behavior

Prior to joining Glee, Michele reportedly had a reputation for "being difficult." Garrett Greer, an assistant to the executive producer during seasons 1 and 2, claimed that "Lea's a narcissist" and "if there was ever a threat to [her character's] attention, that caused conflict."

Naya Rivera's father, George, went on to say that the only person his daughter had "trouble with" on Glee was Michele. "There was always a fight between them. Always. Everybody knew. Everybody saw it. They hated each other but at the same time, respected each other's talent," he claimed, before alleging that Rivera got temporarily let go from the show after complaining about it to the production.

The only actor to speak out about Michele's alleged onset behavior was Dabier Snell. The actor, who appeared in the season 4 episode, "Party All the Time," recalled an interaction he had with her during a break in filming. "So, after we had filmed that scene and obviously there was lunch, Darren [Criss] was like, 'Yo, you should come by. All the cast members will probably sit down.' I was like, 'Alright cool.' I was there maybe 10 minutes and then I got pulled by somebody on set," he said.

"They were like, 'Hey Dab, can I talk to you for a minute?' And I was like, 'Yeah sure.' So, she goes, 'Somebody specifically at the table doesn't want you sitting there,'" Dabier continued. "And I was like, 'What?' So, she was like, 'I'm really sorry about that. It's not about you. It's just the person there doesn't feel like you belong with the rest of the group.'"

Eventually, the actor believed it was Michele. "I took a guess and said, 'Lea?' She goes, [makes a wincing face and nods]. Like, wow, I really just got pulled because, like, of my status on the show. I've never really experienced anything like that, even in a high school setting."

A Crewman Blames Glee for Brother's Suicide

As the show continued – and got bigger – it became increasingly more difficult and more stressful to work on. Everyone in production was "expected to work hard… or you wouldn't work there anymore," one person recalled, while another added that the crew worked between 72 and 100 hours most weeks.

In addition to the deaths of the show's stars, there were many more among the production team – from Julia Roberts' half-sister Nancy Motes to Matthew Morrison's stand-in Mark Watson – that led many to wonder if there was a curse. "Then it felt like a pattern of horrible things," one person said before art director Michael Rizzo said, "We were family, and it was a rough time."

J.A. Byerly was a rigging gaffer for five seasons. And during that time, his brother Mitchell also worked on set before taking his own life at the beginning of season 6. "I blame it on that show," Byerly claimed, before later asking, "Why didn't they shut down the show?"

Some on the Crew Thought Mark Salling Was 'A Bit Off'

After appearing in all six seasons of Glee, Mark Salling was arrested in 2015 on the suspicion of possessing child pornography after being tipped off by one of his ex-girlfriends. The actor eventually pleaded guilty to the charge of receiving and possessing child pornography, which included a reported 25,000 images and videos.

"You can't bounce back from that and I think he knew that," said Barbara Munch, the show's set decorator for seasons 1-2. In 2018, Salling was found dead by suicide before he could be formally sentenced.

While the news came as a shock to those who worked with him, some on the crew and production team thought Salling was different from the rest of the cast. He was allegedly quieter than his co-stars and often kept to himself, leading some people to think he was "a bit off."

And although he briefly dated Rivera during Glee's run, many claimed their relationship was very volatile. "Mark's relationship with Naya was kind of toxic. It was really dramatic. And I didn't like that for her," said Greer.