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Cory Monteith Cremated After Autopsy, Father Joe Not Invited

Cory Monteith on February 27, 2013
Cory Monteith was reportedly cremated on July 16 following the completion of his autopsy; his dad Joe, from whom the actor was estranged for a period in the past, tells TMZ he wasn't invited to view his son's body

Rest in peace, Cory Monteith. On Tuesday, July 16 — three days after his shocking death on July 13 — the Glee actor's body was cremated in Vancouver following a private viewing with his family and girlfriend Lea Michele, TMZ reports.

Related: PHOTOS: Stars we've lost in 2013

Not in attendance at the viewing was Monteith's father, Joe Monteith, who told TMZ that he wasn't made aware of the cremation until after the fact. Joe, who divorced wife Ann when his son was 7 and was estranged from him for years after, said he's "totally devastated" he didn't get a chance to see Monteith one last time.

"I always loved both my sons and am going to miss Cory very, very much," Joe told TMZ. "I'm saddened at the fact that I couldn't have been there to see my son before he was cremated."

Related: PHOTOS: Cory and Lea's romance

Per TMZ, the 31-year-old star's body was released to his mom after the autopsy was completed. She reportedly held a viewing at the hospital with Michele and Monteith's brother Shaun. Joe was not invited.

Monteith and his dad went through a period of estrangement after the divorce, but in 2009, they got together for the first time in 17 years. "We’d spoken maybe three or four times [during that period], and he reached out to me on Facebook," Monteith told Parade in 2011. "I couldn't shut the door, so I got on a plane…At some point, you realize your parents are human. They make the best decisions they can with the options available to them."

Related: PHOTOS: Glee stars' yearbook pics

As Us Weekly previously reported, the British Columbia Coroners Service confirmed on Tuesday, July 16, that the cause of Monteith's sudden death was "mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol." The actor had recently completed a stay in rehab for his addiction, but he relapsed before his passing.

"There is no evidence to suggest Mr. Monteith's death was anything other than a most-tragic accident," the coroner's report states. "Mr. Monteith's family has been made aware of the circumstances surrounding the death. On behalf of family members, the BC Coroners Service asks that the media respect their privacy at this difficult time."

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