Cory Monteith’s Mom Remembers Late Son One Year After Death

Cory Monteith’s mom, Ann McGregor, continues to mourn the loss of her son and is speaking out for the first time since the actor’s death one year ago.

“The loss is horrendous … until three days ago I couldn’t look at a picture of Cory. So there’s been progress.” she told ABC News of her former “Glee” star son, who lost his battle with drugs and alcohol in Vancouver on July 13, 2013. He was 31.

Then-girlfriend Lea Michele, who Ann is still in touch with through texts and email, is also still mourning the loss.

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“She’s hurting too … you see the sadness,” Ann said of the actress. “I know her pain.”

The late actor’s mom said her son first had a major drug scare as a teenager.

“[When] Cory was 15, he did a code blue,” she said, referring to an overdose. “I think that was the turning point. He had a lot of emotional things he was trying to figure out – a lot of it was he really wanted a relationship with his father. I think when a child gets invalidated they keep reaching even harder. They want to find out why.”

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So what advice does Ann have for other parents dealing with similar issues?

“I don’t think we have power to change the choices they’re making. I think with the kind of connection Cory and I had, if we couldn’t prevent that situation, I don’t have the answer,” she said. “What could I say to them? Live every moment. Grab the second.”

When asked about her son’s talent, Ann referred to the late actor as “pretty amazing.”

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“I’m still in awe,” she said. “I always will be.”

— Jesse Spero