Cory Monteith has called a time out. The Glee star, 30, has checked into rehab, his rep tells Us Weekly. "Cory Monteith has voluntarily admitted himself into a treatment facility for substance addiction," his rep says in a statement. "He graciously asks for your respect and privacy as he takes the necessary steps towards recovery."
"Cory is a beloved member of the Glee family and we fully support his decision to seek treatment," 20th Century Fox TV, which produces the hit musical series, said in a statement. "Everyone at the show wishes him well and looks forward to his return."
It's not the first rehab stint for the British Columbia-born actor. In a revealing 2011 interview with Parade, Monteith revealed that he dropped out of school at age 16 and hit drugs and alcohol hard. "I burned a lot of bridges," the FOX star admitted. As for his drug use, Monteith revealed he did "anything and everything, as much as possible . . . I had a serious problem."
Fearing he "could die," Monteith's family and friends staged an intervention when he was 19. "That's when I first went to rehab," he told Parade. "I did the stint but then went back to doing exactly what I left off doing."
He reached rock bottom when he was caught stealing "a significant amount of money from a family member . . . I was so desperate I didn't care. It was a cry for help," he revealed. Given an ultimatum by his family — get clean and sober or be turned over to cops — Monteith finally kicked his habit, got a job as a roofer, and began working with an acting coach.
"This is a total surprise," a source close to the star tells Us. "He has always been very honest about how he struggled."
Just a few weeks ago, Monteith and girlfriend/Glee costar Lea Michele — they've been dating for over a year — were all smiles at a family wedding near Vancouver.
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For her part, Michele, 26, tweeted on Sunday: "Feeling so grateful today <3"
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