GLEE’s Cory Monteith Opens Up About His Past Drug Abuse.

29 year old GLEE Star Cory Monteith may play a fresh faced, good natured teen on his hit show, but he admits to Parade magazine that his own childhood behavior was anything but innocent… instead, he describes a past full of drug use and even theft.

Monteith, who despite nearing 30 years old still looks like a high schooler when playing Finn Hudson, says he was devastated when his parents got divorced  at age 7, and began abusing drugs and drinking alcohol by age 13. A high school drop-out at age 16, he was an addict who shuffled from school to school.

“I burned a lot of bridges. I was out of control,” Monteith recalls, saying that his drug use included “anything and everything, as much as possible.”

At 19 he went to rehab, but it didn’t work. It was an all-time low moment that pulled him out of the downward spiral.

“I stole a significant amount of money from a family member,” he confesses. “I knew I was going to get caught, but I was so desperate I didn’t care. It was a cry for help… I was done fighting myself… I finally said, ‘I’m gonna start looking at my life and figure out why I’m doing this.’”

Monteith says he’s opening up to keep kids from losing hope.

“I don’t want kids to think it’s okay to drop out of school and get high, and they’ll be famous actors, too. … But for those people who might give up: Get real about what you want and go after it. If I can, anyone can.”