Family and fans fought to hold back tears Sunday as they mourned the tragic loss of Glee actor Cory Monteith, who had a history of battling addiction, after he was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room the previous day.
Richard Monteith’s shoulders shook as he laid down a bouquet of white flowers outside the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, where his cousin’s body was found.
Squatting with his head in his hands, Richard said he and Monteith were “decently close” and saw each other last April.
Richard’s reaction was echoed by Monteith’s estranged father, Joe Monteith.
“I’m not making no comments, I’m not up to it,” said Joe, after a long, quiet pause.
Monteith, who rose to fame as Glee’s quarterback-turned-singer Finn Hudson, was found dead at the 21st floor of the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel.
The 31-year-old actor checked into the hotel July 6 and hotel staff discovered the star’s body after he failed to check out Saturday, Vancouver police said.