Glee star Mark Salling dies, aged 35
Note: The following article contains discussion of suicide and child abuse that some readers may find upsetting.
Former Glee star Mark Salling has died, aged 35.
The actor was found dead in the San Fernando Valley, California community of Sunland. Neither the cause nor the manner of his passing have yet been determined by law enforcement, according to TVLine.
His lawyer said in a statement: "I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning. Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment.
"He is survived by his mother and father, and his brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected."
Mark had been awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, for which he was expected to face between four to seven years behind bars.
A sentencing hearing in this case had been scheduled for March 7. Mark was originally arrested back in December 2015 at the culmination of a raid on his home by the Los Angeles Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Unit.
Prior to his arrest, Mark had starred in Emmy-winning musical comedy series Glee as Noah 'Puck' Puckerman, a William McKinley High School football star-turned-member of the New Directions glee club.
The character of Puck was the on-screen best friend of Finn Hudson, played by the late Cory Monteith. In total, Mark appeared in nearly 100 episodes of Glee during its six-year run on Fox in the US.
Mark made his screen acting debut at age 14 opposite Naomi Watts in the direct-to-DVD sequel Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering. His credits also included Glee: The 3D Concert Movie and an early appearance in Walker, Texas Ranger.
Suicide is preventable. Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
