‘Glee’ Co-Star Jane Lynch on Mark Salling’s Death: ‘Tragic’

Glee co-star Jane Lynch struggled to find the proper words to remember Mark Salling following his apparent suicide on Tuesday.

She told TMZ the news was “sad and very tragic” after police reportedly found the actor’s body hanging from a tree near his home in the Sunland area of Los Angeles.

“It’s tragic and I am broken-hearted over it,” she said.

As for how she will remember her 35-year-old co-star, Lynch said she recalls a “really sweet video he made at the beginning of Glee when he was just so happy to be a part of the group.” Both Lynch and Salling starred in all six seasons of the Fox musical comedy, which ran from 2009 to 2015.

Other cast and crew of the show also expressed their emotions on social media following the news of Sallings’ death.

Iqbal Theba, who played Principal Figgins on the show, wrote only two words: “Oh Mark.”

Glee producer Tim Davis took a more direct approach to address the sensitive topic of Salling’s apparent suicide, as well as his charges for possession child pornography, a crime to which Salling pleaded guilty in December.

“Today we lost another #Glee cast member. Yes, he committed crimes against children. Yes, it’s horrific. But #MarkSalling was a broken man, no doubt an abuse victim himself. I loved Mark, and am sad when I consider the devastation of his parents. PLEASE withhold your cruel comments,” Davis wrote.

After some criticism of his messsage, Davis posted another message to clear up his position.

“Let me be clear. Having compassion for #MarkSalling in no way minimizes his crimes, nor does it minimize the pain and devastation of the victims of those crimes. I’m just saying stop adding to his family’s pain. This was their son. If you’re without sin, feel free to cast stones,” Davis wrote.

Salling was reportedly found dead near a creek and little league baseball field in Sunland on Tuesday after police received a call to perform a “welfare check” on him when a family member reported him as a missing person around 3 a.m.

After he was found, homicide detectives were called to the scene to rule out foul play, but all evidence reportedly suggests that Salling died by suicide via hanging. According to TMZ, the Los Angeles County Coroner arrived to remove Salling’s body from the scene.

The 35-year-old actor’s family confirmed his death on Tuesday, issuing a statement through their lawyer.

“I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning,” the lawyer said. “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.”

Fans of the actor paid their respects on social media following his passing, nearly five years after his Glee co-star Cory Monteith killed himself.

Photo credit: Getty / Christopher Polk / Contributor