Glee's Cory Monteith Goes Out For First Time Post-Rehab; Feels "Lucky To Be Alive"
Glee's Cory Monteith went out for the first time since completing rehab. He's now doing charity work to give something back.
In April, Monteith admitted he had a problem with substances and went to rehab. But now, he's made his first public appearance at a charity event. Monteith walked the red carpet for the 12th annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball.
The Ball is a charity benefit that raises money for homeless and low-income residents of California.
Lea Michele accompanied Monteith. She's his girlfriend both on Glee and in real life. As he went to rehab, Michele said "I love and support Cory and will stand by him through this. I am grateful and proud he made this decision,"
Because of his rehab stint, Monteith missed tapings of the last two episodes of Glee in the season.
Before going to rehab, Monteith met with producers and creator Ryan Murphy. The wholecrew gave their blessing, encouraging him to enter treatment for his substance abuse issues.
"Cory is a beloved member of the Glee family and we fully support his decision to seek treatment," said 20th Century Fox, the show's producer, in a statement. "Everyone at the show wishes him well and looks forward to his return."
Glee creator Ryan Murphy spoke out in support also. "I am so proud of Cory Monteith and love and support him 100 [percent]," Murphy tweeted on Monday.
In 2011, Monteith spoke about his issues with drug abuse as a teenager, saying his family staged an intervention when he was 19 that helped him recover. He admitted he'd been a dropout at 16, spending all his time drinking and smoking weed. Later, however, he admitted he'd relapsed and it's still an issue.
"I'm lucky on so many counts -- I'm lucky to be alive," Monteith said. "I stole a significant amount of money from a family member. I knew I was going to get caught, but I was so desperate I didn't care."
Monteith has now successfully completed rehab. He's gone back to Canada, where he grew up, to continue recovering.