Cory Monteith Tribute To Address Drug Addiction Says Fox

Fox announced that the Cory Monteith tribute that is being planned will address drug addiction.

The network’s entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly confirmed on Thursday that the tribute for Monteith will air in the third episode of Glee’s upcoming Season 5, which is slated to air October 10.

“That is the episode where Cory’s character will be written out and will deal directly with drug addiction and with the circumstances surrounding Cory’s death,” he said.

However, this does not mean that Monteith’s character Finn Hudson necessarily dies of an overdose.

The series co-creator Ryan Murphy will shoot PSAs with the cast that will air during the episode. They will speak to the incident and drug addiction, Reilly said.

Monteith had left the show with two episodes left to shoot in Season 4 to enter rehab. “It is a celebration and really sad of this really vibrant kid,” Reilly said about the planned tribute.

Cory Monteith died of a heroin and alcohol overdose in his Vancouver hotel on July 13. Proceeds from the music of this episode will go to set up a fund to provide scholarships for kids.

The farewell to Cory will follow the two-part Beatles-themed season opener, which had already been planned before last month’s tragic events. After Episode 3, Glee goes on a break for baseball, Reilly said.

Reilly also spoke of the private memorial the Glee cast and crew held for Monteith recently. “Kids sang songs, it was beautiful.” he said.

The exec added that the studio was ready to push back production due to the sudden death of one of their main cast, but the rest of the gang was ready to go.

Reilly referred to co-star and real life girlfriend Lea Michele as a “pillar of strength” saying that she was the first one to say she is “ready to get back to work”.

Due to Corey Monteith’s death Reilly says he doesn’t envision Glee lasting past the sixth season.