Actress Georgie Leahy, who was having a manicure in the nail salon when news of the actor's death broke, says his passing 'evoked so many complex feelings' because of 'everything he was accused of.'
- Jan 30, 2020
AceShowbiz - Mark Salling's ex-girlfriend has finally broken her silence over the actor's tragic death. Two years after the Noah "Puck" Puckerman depicter on "Glee" took his own life at the age of 35, Georgie Leahy opened up about her reaction to news of his sudden passing as well as her thoughts on his arrest for possession of child pornography.
The 32-year-old talked about Salling's passing during an episode of her "Georgie and Friends" podcast and to The New York Post. Admitting that she "collapsed in the nail salon" upon hearing the news, she said, "It was devastating." She then explain, "What happened with Mark evoked so many complex feelings. I didn't feel like I had permission to hurt because of everything he was accused of."
Leahy started dating Salling in 2015 after they met at a birthday party for "Twilight" actor Kellan Lutz. "I overheard this guy talking about how his legs were aching because he did a 'leg day'," she reminisced. "I asked him, 'Are you a personal trainer?' And he looked at me funny. Then we just started talking and exchanged numbers."
Leahy admitted to have not recognized Salling until their first date at his ranch in Sunland. Of the late actor himself, she said, "He was an excellent pianist and sang me his original music and covers such as Justin Bieber's 'What Do You Mean?'. Whenever I hear the song now, I'm transported back to being with Mark."
Their relationship started to fall apart when Salling got arrested on child pornography charge in December 2015. "My brain was going crazy," Leahy recalled how she felt when her younger sister notified her about it. "I tried to call Mark to find out what was going on, but the police had confiscated his phone."
Still, Leahy claimed she "was there for him" as much as she could. "I wanted him to know that he has me," she explained. About their last meeting in his house in February 2016, Leahy spilled, "We just hugged and sat together in total silence. I desperately wanted him to say, 'It's not true,' or 'I've been set up.' " She added, "I think he was trying to protect me."
Salling pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in October 2017. Weeks before his sentencing, however, his body was found hanging from a tree near a riverbed in Sunland. Leahy didn't attend his funeral. Nonetheless, she said, "I still loved him. I've been wanting to contact his mother to tell her what an amazing person her son was."
