Glee Curse: Debunked
Glee Actor Kevin McHale Blasts 'Curse' Narrative as Reboot Discussions Emerge
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Key Points
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The three deaths that feed the “Glee curse” narrative are: Cory Monteith (died 2013 at 31 from a heroin overdose), Mark Salling (died 2018 at 35 by suicide after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography), and Naya Rivera (died 2020 at 33 from an accidental drowning). This framing has persisted despite weariness from the cast and fans alike.
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Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy has publicly floated the idea of rebooting the series, saying the show is ‘come back around’ and that a new incarnation could be revisited as nostalgia drives renewed interest.
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The 2023 docuseries The Price of Glee revisited the deaths and helped broaden the curse discussion beyond the cast to crew members, giving renewed oxygen to the theory.
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McHale publicly condemned using the dead as a plot device on X, calling such talk ‘diabolical and untethered from any sort of humanity or reality,’ and bluntly told critics to stop the behavior with language like “Get f---ed.”
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McHale has noted that the Glee ensemble copes with loss through humor, including acknowledging that jokes about a curse have been part of their routines, a topic he discussed publicly on the Elvis Duran Show in 2024.
Glee actor Kevin McHale is pushing back hard against fans who call the show "cursed" after three cast members died. McHale called the curse talk "f---ing diabolical and untethered from any sort of humanity or reality," according to Entertainment Weekly. His comments come as co-creator Ryan Murphy has floated the idea of a Glee reboot, reigniting public interest in the show's troubled legacy.
The three deaths at the center of the curse theory are Cory Monteith, who died in 2013 at 31 from a heroin overdose; Mark Salling, who died by suicide in 2018 at 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges; and Naya Rivera, who drowned accidentally in 2020 at 33. AOL reported that McHale specifically condemned posts on X that treat these real tragedies as supernatural plot points.
McHale Calls Curse Talk Dehumanizing and Diabolical
McHale did not hold back. He told fans spreading the curse theory to "get f---ed," according to Entertainment Weekly. He argued the deaths are tragic coincidences — not evidence of a supernatural pattern. He stressed that turning real people's deaths into a spooky narrative strips those people of their humanity.
McHale also acknowledged that the Glee cast uses dark humor to cope with their losses. He has joked about a curse himself, including in a 2024 appearance on the Elvis Duran Show. But he drew a sharp line between private coping and public fans amplifying a harmful theory online, according to Yahoo News.
Ryan Murphy Hints a Glee Reboot Could Happen
While McHale was calling out fans, Murphy was stirring fresh excitement. The co-creator said Glee has "come back around" and that a new version of the show could be revisited, according to Star Observer. Murphy pointed to nostalgia as a key driver. No formal announcement has been made.
Murphy's comments landed at a moment when Glee is already back in the cultural conversation. Some observers say his reboot talk is fueling public interest in the show's legacy — including the darker parts of it. The timing has not gone unnoticed by fans or critics.
The Price of Glee Docuseries Kept the Curse Theory Alive
The 2023 docuseries The Price of Glee gave the curse theory new oxygen. It revisited the deaths of Monteith, Salling, and Rivera. It also broadened the story to include crew members who faced hardships during and after the show's run. That wider framing made the curse narrative feel more credible to some viewers.
Critics of the docuseries argued it leaned into sensationalism. McHale's frustration with fans appears to be partly rooted in how shows like The Price of Glee frame tragedy as pattern rather than coincidence. The cast has had to watch the deaths of their friends become content, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Fans Are Divided Over How to Talk About the Deaths
Not all fans spread the curse theory. Many rallied behind McHale after his posts on X. They condemned the framing and echoed his point that Monteith, Rivera, and Salling deserve to be remembered as people — not as data points in a supernatural story, according to Yahoo News.
Still, the curse narrative keeps spreading. The combination of three deaths, a nostalgia-fueled reboot conversation, and a docuseries designed to probe the show's dark side keeps the theory circulating. McHale's blunt response has drawn attention — but it has also kept the story trending, which is exactly the dynamic he was pushing back against.
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