Best known as hunk Finn Hudson on the Emmy-winning musical comedy Glee, Cory Monteith is opening up about his wild past. "I'm not Finn Hudson," he told Parade. "I burned a lot of bridges, I was out of control." Monteith dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and was forced by his family to enter rehab at age 19. “I did the stint but then went back to doing exactly what I left off doing."

But then he hit rock bottom. “I stole a significant amount of money from a family member," he confesses. "I knew I was going to get caught, but I was so desperate I didn't care. It was a cry for help. I was confronted and, I said, 'Yeah, it was me.' It was the first honorable, truthful thing that had come out of my mouth in years."

Monteith’s family gave him an ultimatum: either he could get clean or he would be reported to the authorities. That’s when he decided he was “done fighting myself.” Soon after, Monteith turned his attention to acting and was cast in the Fox series that would become a worldwide phenomenon. "I don't want kids to think it's okay to drop out of school and get high, and they'll be famous actors, too," he says. "But for those people who might give up: Get real about what you want and go after it. If I can, anyone can."

2 Comments

  • Victoria
    Victoria on

    That is really admirable that he can be so open and honest about his troublesome past. I think most people would be more than embarrassed and ashamed of themselves, and not be able to talk about it like he is. This is really awesome of him.

  • Sydney Ramsden
    Sydney Ramsden on

    I agree, I think it would have been much, much worse for him if people found out through photos and whatnot. But I was also surprised to hear this since I always imagine the actors on Glee to be so innocent.

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