“Glee” alum Kevin McHale has publicly criticized fans who attribute the deaths of three main cast members to a curse affecting the show. McHale, who portrayed Artie Abrams, expressed his strong disapproval on the social media platform X on Wednesday.
"Let me log off today because the way too many of you talk about real people who have passed as a ‘sacrifice’ or a ‘curse’ in regards to a tv show is f–king diabolical and untethered from any sort of humanity or reality,” he wrote. He concluded his statement with “Get f–ked.”
McHale's comments came in response to online discussions that have resurfaced following recent remarks by the show's co-creator, Ryan Murphy, who indicated he has considered rebooting the series. Murphy told People magazine on Tuesday that the show's renewed popularity among younger audiences might warrant revisiting it.
"That show is interesting because it’s come back around," Murphy said. "So many young people now watch it. And I’m like, ‘Maybe we should revisit that show.’" He added, "My nostalgia and love for that show is enough that I’m like, ‘Well, maybe people would like to see a new incarnation of that in some capacity.'"
The deaths of three prominent "Glee" cast members have been a subject of online speculation. Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, died in July 2013 at age 31. The coroner ruled his death accidental, caused by a combination of heroin use and alcohol.
Mark Salling, who played Noah Puckerman, died in January 2018 at age 35. His death was ruled a suicide; it occurred a month after he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
Naya Rivera, who portrayed Santana Lopez, died in July 2020 at age 33. Her death was ruled a drowning. Authorities stated that Rivera lost her life while saving her 4-year-old son, Josey, from a current on Lake Piru in California. She managed to push him back onto their rented pontoon boat but lacked the strength to save herself.
Fans on X largely supported McHale's stance. One user commented, "It’s a reminder that real tragedies aren’t plot devices. Turning someone’s death into ‘proof’ of a curse or a TV show’s mythology can erase the fact that they were actual people with families, friends, and lives beyond the entertainment people consumed."
Another commenter wrote, "I cannot even fathom what that’s like when you and your other cast members have lost your sweet friends the way you have. People act like what it said on the internet doesn’t affect people in real life. It makes me sad."
"Glee" aired for six seasons on Fox from 2009 to 2015. The musical dramedy garnered six Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards during its run. The series also starred Lea Michele, Darren Criss, Dianna Agron, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Heather Morris, Jenna Ushkowitz, Harry Shum Jr., and Chord Overstreet, among others.