Mark Salling died aged 35 – the Glee actor ‘hanged himself’ in the woods weeks before he was due to be jailed over 50,000 child abuse images. He died months after pleading guilty to possessing child abuse images, his lawyer confirmed. Salling had cut his wrists back in August and it appeared to be a suicide attempt, although his lawyer denied it.
His co-stars paid tribute to the fallen actor with Tim Davis, the show’s former vocal coordinator, tweeting: “Having compassion for #MarkSalling in no way minimises his crimes, nor does it minimise the pain and devastation of the victims of those crimes.”
He added: “I loved Mark and am sad when I consider the devastation of his parents.”
Jane Lynch, who played head cheer coach Sue Sylvester, said she would remember him as “the guy who made that really sweet video in the beginning of Glee when he was so happy to be a part of this group”.
He is survived by his mother, father and brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected.
In a haunting reminder that Salling is not the first Glee star to die at a young age, Matthew Morrison posted a photo of himself with Salling and Cory Monteith, who died in 2013.
