What began as a hit musical dramedy about teenage dreams and second chances has since become infamous for a string of tragedies that blur the line between coincidence and curse.
From its pilot episode, Glee was framed as a celebration of underdog joy. But as the show progressed, its offscreen narrative began to unravel into something far darker.
When A Hit Show Turns Into A Hollywood Horror Story
In the years since Glee ended, the show has become a case study in how personal tragedy, systemic pressures, and unresolved trauma can leave deep marks on those involved. What has come to be known as the "Glee Curse" is less a supernatural myth than a series of real and devastating events that haunt the legacy of one of television's most unexpected hits.
The Crew Behind the Scenes
While the spotlight remained on the show's breakout stars, the losses behind the camera went largely unnoticed by the public. Yet they were no less devastating. A rigging technician died by suicide. Nancy Motes, a production assistant and the half-sister of Julia Roberts, also took her own life in 2014. Matthew Morrison’s stand-in, Mark Watson, died after a car fire. Assistant director Jim Fuller and a prop worker both died of heart attacks.
Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson)
Cory Monteith's death in 2013 marked the moment the show’s off-screen tragedies became a national conversation. Monteith had struggled with substance use since his teenage years, and while he had entered treatment in early 2013, he died from an overdose in July of that year at the age of 31. The show’s tribute episode, The Quarterback, functioned as both a narrative farewell to his character Finn Hudson and a public act of mourning for a cast and crew who were grieving in real time. Believe me, that episode BROKE me.
Mark Salling (Noah “Puck” Puckerman)
One of the most disturbing chapters in Glee's legacy revolves around Mark Salling. While the show was still on the air, Salling faced legal troubles after being accused of sexual assault by a former partner. That case was settled out of court, but in 2015, he was arrested for possession of child pornography. More than 50,000 images were found in his possession. He pleaded guilty in 2017 and was awaiting sentencing when he died by suicide in early 2018. His legal troubles and the nature of the charges remain one of the darkest stains on the show's history.
Melissa Benoist and Blake Jenner (Marley Rose and Ryder Lynn)
In 2019, Melissa Benoist shared a personal account of surviving domestic abuse. Though she did not name her abuser, many connected her story to fellow Glee alum and ex-husband Blake Jenner. She described a relationship marked by escalating violence – including being hit, choked, dragged, and isolated. Jenner later posted a public statement acknowledging that both parties had contributed to a toxic dynamic and described a specific instance of violence on his part.
Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez)
In July 2020, Naya Rivera went missing during a boating trip with her young son. Days later, her body was recovered from Lake Piru in California. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning, and it later emerged that she had called for help in her final moments – ensuring her son’s safety before disappearing underwater. The date of her death, July 13, marked exactly seven years since Cory Monteith’s passing. Rivera had been a standout presence on the show, and her sudden loss reignited the conversation about the “curse,” particularly in the eerie symmetry of dates and the sheer tragedy of her final act.
Lea Michele (Rachel Berry)
In 2020, former cast members began speaking out against Lea Michele’s behavior on set, describing her as difficult, dismissive, and at times openly hostile – particularly toward black actors. While some, including Amber Riley and Heather Morris, stopped short of calling her racist, they noted a pattern of behavior that made the working environment toxic for many. Other actors who had worked with Michele on unrelated projects corroborated these accounts. Though some former colleagues later offered a more balanced perspective – acknowledging the pressures of the show's demanding schedule – the damage to Michele’s public image was significant. What had once been read as method-level commitment to her character’s intensity was reframed as real-life mistreatment.
Bad Luck Or The Price Of Spotlight?
The "Glee Curse" may be more metaphor than phenomenon, but the sheer concentration of tragedy surrounding the show is hard to ignore. Fame, trauma, industry exploitation, and personal demons collided in ways that no script could ever fully account for. In the end, Glee offered its audience a story of hope through hardship. Tragically, for many of those involved, that hardship extended far beyond the final curtain call.