Kevin McHale reveals how late Glee co-star Naya Rivera staged intervention around his steroid use: ‘It was a hard lesson to learn’
Kevin McHale remembered how his late Glee co-star Naya Rivera and Jenna Ushkowitz staged an intervention for him due to his steroid use while they were still filming episodes of the hit Fox series.
Right around the time the Glee cast were preparing to film the Super Bowl episode, the And That’s What You Really Missed podcast co-host was, ‘Sick as a dog.’
‘[I was] on all kinds of medicine, including Prednisone, which is a steroid and it turned me into a monster,’ the 35-year-old former Glee star recalled on the podcast.
The Texas-born singer and actor co-hosts the podcast with Jenna, who played Tina Cohen-Chang on the Fox series opposite Kevin’s Artie Abrams.
Naya played the lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez — tragically, the beloved actress perished at the age of 33 due to accidental drowning at Lake Piru in California.
Feeling blue: Kevin McHale never forgot how his late Glee co-star Naya Rivera helped stage an intervention for him regarding his steroid usage
Acting angel: The late actress’s portrayal of the snarky cheerleader Santana Lopez was widely beloved by Glee fans worldwide
Concerned co-stars: Jenna and Naya expressed concern that Kevin’s steroid usage was making him act ‘crazy’
Although the NLT lead vocalist had been prescribed the steroids for his illness, his two leading Glee ladies voiced their fears over how the meds were making him act.
‘Cory [Monteith] and I had dinner together and you and Naya were one over from me, I think, and you were all like, ‘So hey, so why are you taking these steroids?’ the And That’s What You Really Missed podcast co-host revealed during the latest episode.
Kevin defended himself, responding to their inquiry with, ‘Because I’m sick and I’m supposed to take them.’
However, Naya and Jenna’s intervention was staged purely out of concern for their co-star and friend’s well-being according to Kevin.
‘You’re not sleeping. You’re acting crazy,’ they told him during the dinner.
While the Elite star admitted that he felt like the steroids gave him ‘courage’ to sing lead vocals on the Thriller/Heads Will Roll mashup performance during the Super Bowl episode, he realized that his work colleagues were right.
‘I hadn’t slept in days. I was losing my mind,’ the Virtually Famous host candidly admitted.
However, Jenna made sure to clarify for listeners tuning in that the steroids were, ‘Needed, needed, necessary, prescribed.’
Best friends forever: The two former Glee co-stars continue to collaborate together on their podcast and remain close friends; seen in December
Veiled beauty: The And That’s What You Really Missed podcast co-host remained close with Naya up until her tragic death
Not so gleeful: The cast of Glee has been plagued with numerous tragedies and scandals after the show concluded
Staying open and honest about the experience, Kevin humbly acknowledged that it was, ‘It was a hard lesson to learn.’
During the frank discussion, Jenna noted that that moment in time was, ‘The beginning of the steroids for you.’
‘Yes, it was,’ the American Horror Stories star replied.
The two podcast co-hosts didn’t delve further into Jenna’s vague comment.
New episodes of the And That’s What You Really Missed podcast can be found at iHeartRadio.
