After the tragic news of the alleged suicide hanging of Mark Salling, 35, take a look back at his rise to fame, and subsequent downfall. A Dallas, Texas native, Salling was born with music already implanted in his DNA. His love for for music began at a young age; some reports even claim he took up playing piano at 5-years-old. Salling indefinitely had a love affair with singing, producing, and playing the guitar and drums. Upon graduating high school, he relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he attended the Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, CA. He taught guitar lessons for five years to make money, while trying to make it big in the music industry. However, stardom didn’t come easy.
Salling began recording, producing, and singing his own music under the stage name, “Jericho”; He was a big fan of rock music. He released solo projects to subpar reviews in 2008 under Jericho Records. Salling later released a rock/jazz album entitled Pipe Dreams, in 2010. He even landed small acting gigs in having appeared in the films, Children Of The Corn IV: The Gathering [1996] alongside a young Naomi Watts, The Graveyard [2006], as well as the TV show Walker, Texas Ranger [1999]. — But, nothing was taking off … that is, until a little TV show titled Glee was looking for experienced musicians/singers in 2009.
“On the recommendation of a few of my clients actually, they told me to check out this casting Web site that was always looking for people who could sing or play guitar,” Salling once said in a past interview. “That led to me seeking representation, and I reached out to about 150 managers and agents. One manager actually gave me a chance and called me; then he referred me to an agent, who submitted me for ‘Glee’ in the office the day I met her. So it was very, very sudden and quick.”
He was eventually cast as Noah “Puck” Puckerman, the show’s resident bad boy, on the musical comedy-drama. Glee was a hit sensation almost over night. The show took off, bringing in soaring ratings from fans who instantly fell in love with the talented cast. Glee, which aired for six seasons from May 2009 to March 2015, won six Emmys, four Golden Globes and a SAG Award for best cast in a comedy series.
However in 2013, Glee was rocked by the shocking death of Cory Monteith. The late singer/actor died from a combination of alcohol and heroin in his system on July 13, 2013, according to an autopsy report. The show drastically slowed down after Monteith’s death, with Salling appearing in fewer episodes before it’s series finale in March 2015. That’s when the speedy fall of Salling’s career began.
Im March 2015, Salling settled a lawsuit with his ex-girlfriend, Roxanne Gorzela, after she accused him of sexual battery in January 2013. Gorzela accused Salling of sexual battery and assault in her 2013 complaint, in which she claimed the actor, in March 2011, had unprotected sexual contact with her despite her demands that he wear a condom. She also stated that she became “overwhelmed with anxiety” in the days following the encounter, worrying that she may have contracted a sexually transmitted disease. She claimed she confronted Salling at his home, where she alleged that he grabbed and pushed her, causing her to hit her head. Upon settling the suit, Salling was ordered by a judge to pay $2.7 million to Gorzela, per the terms of the settlement.
Then, in December 2015, the actor was named in a two count indictment, alleging he received and possessed videos and still images of child pornography involving young girls. According to investigators, a laptop and other electronic devices were seized from Salling’s LA residence, which allegedly contained thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography.
The Glee star eventually pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor October 4, 2017. After striking a plea deal in December 2017, he was awaiting to be sentenced in March 2018 and expected to serve four to seven years in prison.
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