Kevin McHale Condemns 'Glee' Curse Narrative as Dehumanizing

McHale, who played Artie Abrams, posted a fiery response on X, labeling the obsession with the show's dark history as diabolical. He argued that framing the losses of Cory Monteith, Mark Salling, and Naya Rivera as part of a supernatural phenomenon is untethered from human empathy. His comments arrive in the wake of the documentary The Price of Glee, which many fans and former cast members criticized for sensationalizing personal tragedies.

During a 2024 appearance on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, McHale clarified his position on the matter, noting that while the cast occasionally jokes about the show’s grim reputation, it is a coping mechanism rather than a belief in the occult. He dismissed the idea of a curse as a series of unrelated, unfortunate accidents. His colleagues, including Chord Overstreet and Jenna Ushkowitz, have similarly distanced themselves from projects that seek to profit from the show's history by leaning into these macabre theories. For the actors who lived through the experience, the focus remains on mourning their peers rather than indulging in speculative storytelling.