Cory Monteith’s Cousin: ‘Don’t Judge’ Him For His Struggles [Video]

Cory Monteith’s cousin is asking that we reserve judgment of the Glee star should his toxicology report come back and show a drug overdose.

Monteith died in a Vancouver hotel room last weekend, and early speculation has almost universally pointed to drug overdose. Like we said, it’s all speculation until toxicology comes back, but the Glee star had a well-documented struggle with addiction throughout his life.

His autopsy hasn’t been completed yet and until it is, Cory Monteith’s cousin Richard Monteith is asking that we don’t jump to conclusions.

Calling his cousin his “hero,” an emotional Richard told Global BC TV:

“Please don’t judge on what is gonna be coming out… People are gonna focus on this last chapter as a bad thing. Don’t use the last chapter do judge someone’s life… Because his life is full of beautiful stories and triumphs and failures and successes. It doesn’t matter about his problems. It matters about the lives he changed. It matters that he was genuine.”

Richard’s comments seem to suggest that he believes that drug relapse played a role in Cory Monteith’s death. “He knew he had a problem,” Richard said.

But Cory Monteith’s cousin would rather we remember the actor for being “beautifully genuine” and for not changing, despite his success. Richard said that after fame, Cory only became “more joy filled” and “more loving.”

“It’s a rags to riches story,” he says.

But Richard is worried that Cory’s last hours will cast a dark shadow on his legacy.

“There’s going to be ridicule about he’s done this, and he’s done that. And it’s not about that. It’s about what he did positively,” Richard said.

How will you remember Cory Monteith?

[Image via: Eva Rinaldi]