Inside Mark Salling's Troubled History
Mark Salling rose to fame as Puck on the once-popular FOX musical dramedy Glee. Unfortunately, he's since become infamous for his personal, professional and legal woes, some of which are horrifying, if proven true. Here's what we know so far about the actor's history—and what may happen next.
He allegedly cheated on Naya Rivera
It's not often that infidelity is the least scandalous event in a celeb's public history, but here we are: in her 2016 memoir, Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, And Growing Up (via Page Six), Salling's former Glee co-star and girlfriend Naya Rivera detailed their tumultuous three-year relationship, at one point alleging that he used marijuana and ecstasy.
She also claimed they had to keep their relationship private because, as Salling told her, his publicist was worried about protecting his heartthrob image. "I had a feeling his pretending to be single had less to do with his publicist and more to do with his d**k," Rivera wrote, despite giving the agreement her OK.
Salling did, in fact, cheat on her, according to Rivera's castmates. After her co-stars broke the news to her, Rivera claims she and a friend trashed his car. Still, for whatever reasons, they remained a couple—which, duh, only led to even more tense moments on the set of Glee. "For a while, there was drama on set, because we hated each other and I didn't even want him looking at me," she wrote. "Any time a new person was added to the show, it was like fresh meat being dropped into a piranha tank."
He was sued for sexual battery...
Radar Online reports that in 2011, Playboy model and DJ Roxanne Gorzela sued Salling for sexual battery, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. According to TMZ, the allegations stemmed from a night the pair spent together in which Gorzela allegedly consented to sexual intercourse but only if Salling wore a condom. Salling allegedly "blew off her demand" and reportedly proceeded to have unprotected sex, despite her protests.
Apparently, it didn't end there. Gorzela claimed in her lawsuit that when she confronted Salling about the incident and her subsequent "health concerns" later that month, he got up, grabbed her and slammed her to the ground, causing severe bruising on her knees. Oh yeah: she also claimed he was in bed with another woman at the time, according to TMZ.
...then sued his accuser and his insurance company
Amid the drama, Salling countersued Gorzela, claiming that she "broke onto his property, beat him up and scratched his car," according to TMZ. He also sued his insurance company, State Farm, after State Farm rejected a claim request made by Salling for coverage under his homeowner's policy. The drama between Gorzela and Salling finally wrapped in 2015 when a settlement awarded Gorzela little over $2.7 million in damages. Strangely enough, the settlement was reached only after Gorzela agreed to seek payment from State Farm and not Salling. The sexual battery charge was also dropped, according to TMZ.
He's facing child pornography charges...
In December 2015, TMZ reported that Salling was arrested after authorities received a tip from one of his ex-girlfriends. Cops obtained a search warrant and reportedly found over 1,000 images of child pornography on his computer. Authorities noted that because Salling lives alone, it'd be difficult for him to blame someone else for putting the images there.
Salling was indicted on two counts of child pornography in May 2016 and could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted on both charges, according to TMZ. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in June, was released on $150,000 bail and is now prohibited from being within 100 yards of schools, parks, and arcades.
Radar Online reports that Salling must also "wear a location-monitoring bracelet, submit to drug tests, and avoid all contact with children unless supervised by a parent." Court documents obtained by Radar also allege that he possessed child pornography on devices other than his computer, including a flash drive, and that some of the images depicted children 12 and younger.
...And not everyone in his life was surprised
In her memoir, Rivera confessed that Salling's child pornography allegations shook her, though they didn't necessarily surprise her. "My son's nanny actually told me about it when the story broke," she wrote. "I can't say I was totally shocked, but still—WTF?...When Mark dumped me, I thought it was the worst thing ever, but can you imagine if that didn't happen? And I was laying there in bed when the battering ram came through the door?"
"He was always just a very dark soul to me," Rivera later explained to Entertainment Tonight. "I always felt like there was something that he was wrestling with."
He was accused of rape
On Oct. 30, 2016, it was revealed that the Los Angeles District Attorney was investigating a rape claim against Salling. His accuser claimed that four years prior, Salling forced himself on her despite her telling him "no" and "I can't do this."
The following day, TMZ reported that prosecutors had dropped the case for two main reasons: the District Attorney's office claimed that accuser waited too long to file, and as a result, there was insufficient evidence to pursue the case. However, they did leave the door open to press charges later if any more evidence surfaces.