Content warning: This article contains discussions of death, suicide, and violence that some may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised.
Investigation Discovery's newest original docuseries, The Price of Glee, gives a behind-the-scenes look at the darkness that took over the set of Ryan Murphy's cult-classic teen musical series, Glee. The show notably ran for six seasons on FOX and followed the lovable outcasts that made up the show choir of an Ohio high school, but the real lives of the actors behind the characters changed in unimaginable ways.
Three of Glee's main cast members — Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, and Mark Salling — died after finding success on the musical comedy, while Lea Michele has been accused of bullying other cast members on set. Season 4 newcomers Blake Jenner and Melissa Benoist also faced issues regarding domestic violence in their real-life marriage. The ID docuseries dives into the tragedies that the cast has faced over the years through interviews with journalists, crew members, publicists, and relatives of the cast. Notably, cast members like Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Chord Overstreet were not involved with the documentary and have spoken out against it, according to reports by People.
Here's everything we know about ID's The Price of Glee docuseries, including how to stream it.
When does The Price of Glee come out on Discovery+?
All three episodes of The Price of Glee premiered on Investigation Discovery on Monday, January 16. The three-part series is also available to stream on Discovery+, with plans starting at $4.99 per month with ads and $6.99 per month without ads.
What is The Price of Glee about?
Per Deadline, The Price of Glee dives into the "highs and lows" of the FOX series' production, including controversies surrounding the cast. Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera faced tragic deaths while Mark Salling pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and took his own life before being sentenced to jail time. The three-part documentary will also touch upon Lea Michele's alleged on-set bullying as well as Blake Jenner and Melissa Benoist's abusive marriage, which made headlines in 2020.
The official synopsis for the docuseries is as follows:
Glee's cast and crew reveal surprising truths behind making the series and recount the meteoric rise of a Hollywood hit as well as the tragedies of some of its stars.
How many episodes does The Price of Glee have?
The Price of Glee is a three-part docuseries that includes interviews with journalists, producers, and family members of the cast members, including the late Naya Rivera.
What has the Glee cast said about The Price of Glee?
Cast members Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Chord Overstreet have spoken out against ID's documentary. After the teaser trailer for The Price of Glee dropped on December 9, 2022, McHale debunked claims that the cast was involved in the docuseries, tweeting "Show me this 'cast' you speak of. This is [trash]."
Ushkowitz, who co-hosts Glee-themed podcast And That's What You Missed alongside McHale, told Buzzfeed why it's important to tell stories on their terms in November 2022. "In terms of the Discovery+ documentary, it feels even more important, to me at least, to do the podcast because we were the ones who were there and we were the ones experiencing this. And we know what really happened," she told the outlet. "So you know, for me, it feels even more pertinent to actually be the ones to share our experience when people are sharing experiences that they didn't have."
During an August 2022 interview with The Elvis Duran Show, Overstreet said "I think all that's bulls---. I think anybody that knows anything about that show and experienced it doesn't have anything to do with that, from what I know."
"We're all really close and pretty much like family," he continued. "Nobody [from the cast] knows anything about that. I think it's a little bit of like, just trying to get people to watch something."
Sam is an assistant news editor at Cosmo, covering all things pop culture, entertainment, and celebrity news. She previously covered those same topics along with health, lifestyle, and beauty at Seventeen. When she isn't draping her cheeks in blush, you can probably find her live-tweeting awards shows or making SwiftToks.
