Update 12/22/2020: Heather issued an apology on Monday (Dec. 21) evening for her comments. “To all those who felt triggered by my message, I want to sincerely apologize for the harm I caused,” she tweeted. “Whether you, a friend, a family member has been a victim of pedophilia, I realize my words may have been insensitive to your experience and for that, I can’t express enough how sorry I am.”
— heather (@HeatherMorrisTV) December 22, 2020
Original: Heather Morris is receiving both backlash and support on Twitter after commenting on a Glee fan’s December 7 tweet. In the initial post, a fan shared images from the episode “A Very Glee Christmas,” but covered up Heather’s former co-star, Mark Salling‘s, face with a vomiting emoji. The original tweet was re-tweeted by Glee alum Kevin McHale on December 17, leading Heather to comment, “the vomit face on Mark’s face is offensive.”
A number of Twitter users, both Glee fans and otherwise, took to Heather’s comment to show both support and frustration. “His pedophilia was more offensive,” one person wrote. Prior to his January 2018 death, Mark, who played Noah “Puck” Puckerhman on Glee, pleaded guilty to charges of possession of child pornography in 2015. Mark died by suicide in January 2018.
His pedophilia was more offensive
— Alicia Lutes (@alicialutes) December 18, 2020
Another person left a comment for Heather, writing, “you have children, little children and you are standing up for Mark? A man who was about to go to prison for exploitation of children, and had a ton of evidence of that on this computer and in his home. It’s not like it’s a rumor it was true. Love the character not the Actor,” they wrote.
Other’s lent some support to Heather. One person wrote, in part, “he is still your cast member and your friend who you lost.” Another fan took a different approach to the comments. “I agree that cancel culture is toxic in most cases, but in this one. there are just some things in life you simply don’t do,” they wrote. “And I hope anyone that feels like they need to do that gets the help that they need instead/before doing something that will impact lives beyond their own.”
We did not loose just 2 cast members, we lost 3. And it is SO incredible tough to have to act like that 3rd one is invisible, because even though his actions are unjustifiable, he was a part of our family at one point and he was mentally SICK. Yes pedophelia is a sickness but…
— heather (@HeatherMorrisTV) December 18, 2020
Heather, however, took to Twitter herself on December 18 to address her comment and the backlash she faced. “We did not loose just 2 cast members, we lost 3,” Heather began. “And it is SO incredible tough to have to act like that 3rd one is invisible. The actress added that while marks “actions are unjustifiable, he was “a part of our family at one point.” She also referred to Mark as “mentally sick.” Heather continued to write, “Although I don’t want to have to say all that, it’s truthful.”
Although I don't want to have to say all that, its truthful. So THANK YOU for treated me with such disrespect and unkindness during a time that I can't get through a day without balling my eyes out at the loss of my entire Glee family… thank you
— heather (@HeatherMorrisTV) December 18, 2020
“So THANK YOU for [treating] me with such disrespect and unkindness during a time that I can’t get through a day without balling my eyes out at the loss of my entire Glee family… thank you.” Prior to Mark’s death in 2018, Cory Monteith lost his life in 2013 following a drug overdose. This past July, the Glee cast mourned the loss of Naya Rivera, who drowned in Lake Piru while boating with her son.