Glee's Mark Salling Dead at 35 From Apparent Suicide

Actor was found outside in the Northeast San Fernando Valley

By Samantha Schnurr Jan 30, 2018 6:19 PMTags
Mark SallingFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Mark Salling has died.

The 35-year-old Glee alum was found dead Tuesday around 8:50 a.m. outside in the northeast San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to E! News. The L.A. Country Coroner's office has confirmed to E! News that Salling was pronounced dead on the scene at 9 a.m. in an apparent suicide by hanging. 

According to the coroner's office, the actor's autopsy is pending and his next of kin has been notified.

"I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning," the actor's lawyer, Michael J. Proctor, told E! News in a statement. "Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment. He is survived by his mother and father, and his brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected." 

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In December 2017, Salling pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. According to a plea agreement in court documents obtained by E! News, he planned to serve four to seven years behind bars with supervised release for 20 years, if agreed upon by the judge. He would register as a sex offender and pay restitution to each victim who requested it. At the time of his death, he was set for sentencing in early March. 

At the time of his guilty plea, Proctor told E! News in a statement, "Mark is focused on accepting responsibility and atoning for his conduct."

The actor rose to fame as Noah "Puck" Puckerman on Fox's Golden Globe-winning series, Glee, from 2009 through 2015. 

TMZ was first to report Salling's death. 

If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.