Cory Monteith's mum Ann McGregor has spoken publicly for the first time since the late actor's death. The Glee star passed away just over a year ago on 13 July from a drug and alcohol overdose, and in the wake of his first-year anniversary, Ann has opened up about how she is coping. "The loss is horrendous," the designer and decorator told Good Morning America. "Until three days ago I couldn't look at a picture of Cory so there's been progress."
© Photo: Getty ImagesCory Monteith had struggled with addiction since he was a teenager
Ann, whose nickname for her son was "Baby Bear", revealed that Cory's battle with addiction started in his teenage years. When the actor was 15, he had an overdose, which Ann said was not unrelated to the distance between her estranged husband Joe and their son. "[Cory] had a lot of emotional things he was trying to figure out – a lot of it was he really wanted a relationship with his father," said Ann. "I think when a child gets invalidated they keep reaching even harder. They want to find out why. "I remember after Cory's first OD, the drive we took. All I did was stare into his eyes and hug him and look at him because I had this feeling, I really want to know him, because I'm not going to have him my entire life."
Cory Monteith's mum Ann McGregor: 'He had a lot of emotional things he was trying to figure out'
Cory's dad Joe talks Lea Michele moving on: 'She should enjoy life'Cory left behind his friends, family and then-girlfriend Lea Michele. "She texts me and emails me," said Ann of her relationship with the Louder singer. "She's hurting too. You see the sadness. I know her pain." Lea, 27, has slowly but surely started to piece her life back together and in June she was reported to be dating aspiring model Matthew Paetz. The pair were recently spotted cosying up together in a park in Los Angeles, as well as enjoying a hike out in the hills.
© Photo: Getty ImagesLea Michele is slowly moving on and has recently been linked to model Matthew Paetz
The actress paid tribute to Cory on his one-year anniversary, posting a couple of tender images of the pair online. "We hold you in our hearts today, and every day we remember your smile. We will love you and miss you always," Lea captioned a snap of the couple embracing. Cory's anniversary saw Twitter abuzz with fans paying tribute to the actor who died aged 31. The hashtags "#1YearWithoutCory" and "#RipCoryMonteith" started trending, with users commenting on how much they missed the Canadian star.
