Cory Monteith's Estranged Father Opens Up About Son's Death: "It's Tearing Me Apart"

Joe Monteith, who tells People he last saw his son two years ago, says that he doesn't want to see any parent "lose a child over heroin"

Cory Monteith's father, Joe Monteith, never got to say goodbye.

"It's just ripping my insides out and tearing me apart," Joe told People, opening up about the actor's death from a heroin and alcohol overdose earlier this summer. The elder Monteith, who was estranged from Cory for most of his life, said that he last saw his son about two years ago—their first meeting in 11 years.

Joe claimed to the magazine that distance and his ex-wife, Ann McGregor, kept him away from their two sons, Cory and his older brother Shaun. (McGregor, who has only addressed her son's death publicly via Twitter, did not comment on Joe's interview.)

Cory's dad said that his son almost died from a bad drug reaction when he was about 19.

"He got a shot to his heart to bring him back, and he was told at that time to use no drugs of any kind because you had your one shot," Joe said. The last time he saw Cory, Joe recalled, "He said 'I wont go there ever again. I'm enjoying myself.'"

Fans will be saying perhaps their most tearful goodbye yet to Cory tonight when Glee airs its special tribute episode, "The Quarterback," set in the wake of the death of his character, Finn Hudson.

Joe said that he's not sure how he'll react to the episode, but he hopes that everyone watching gets the point.

"I lost my son," the distraught dad said. "He should have known not to touch that drug again...I don't want to see any parent lose a child over heroin."