Mark Salling’s neighbors are speaking out amid news that the 35-year-old died from an apparent suicide.
A woman who lived on Salling’s street in Los Angeles’ Sunland-Tujunga neighborhood exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, January 30, that the Glee alum generally kept to himself. Although she said that Salling had friends over from time to time, he never threw any parties or had loud music playing. According to the woman, most of the residents in the area knew about Salling’s December 2015 arrest for possession of child pornography, which she said “made for not the most pleasant living experience considering there are kids who live nearby.”
Another neighbor confirmed that Salling kept a low profile and that many residents weren’t aware that he still lived on the street until news broke of his October 2015 arrest. An eyewitness revealed to Us that Salling’s car, a black Infinity, is still parked in the driveway of his home.
After Salling’s arrest, he struck a plea deal with prosecutors in October 2017, agreeing to four to seven years in jail, registering as a sex offender after his release, and staying at least 100 feet away from schools, parks, public swimming pools, playgrounds and video arcade venues.
Salling was set to appear in court on March 7 for sentencing.
The Texas native was found near a Los Angeles riverbed on Tuesday, according to TMZ. A member of his family filed a missing persons report at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, hours before his body was found, Us Weekly confirmed. The report had prompted local authorities to do a welfare check at Salling’s home.
Salling’s lawyer, Michael J. Proctor, confirmed the actor’s death in a statement to Us on Tuesday. “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 judgement,” Proctor said. “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.”
The late actor’s Glee costars and crew members took to social media on Tuesday to react to his death. Matthew Morrison, who played Will Schuester on the Fox musical drama, shared an Instagram photo of himself posing alongside Salling and Cory Monteith, who died in July 2013 of a drug overdose. Jenna Ushkowitz, who played Tina Cohen-Chang, commented with heart emoji on the post.
Producer Tim Davis also tweeted his reaction to the news.“Let me be clear. Having compassion for #MarkSalling in no way minimizes his crimes, nor does it minimize the pain and devastation of the victims of those crimes,” he shared in a statement that was retweeted by Jane Lynch. “I’m just saying stop adding to his family’s pain. This was their son. If you’re without sin, feel free to cast stones.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
