Content warning: This story includes suicide and descriptions of child sexual abuse that may be distressing to some readers.
Glee was one of the biggest shows of its time.
The surprise hit, which ran from 2009 to 2015, was about a high school Glee club. And at its core, it was a fun, light-hearted show.
It tackled some tough topics – not always successfully – but it tried, and mostly it was a wholesome feel-good watch for those who enjoyed positivity and acapella versions of songs they were already sick of from the radio.
But beyond its happy-go-lucky surface, behind the scenes at Glee were many very dark, very ugly controversies.
From on-set bullying claims, allegations of racism and a toxic workplace culture, to three cast members' deaths – it's been a lot.
Here's how the controversies unfolded, one by one.
A look back at the first season of Glee. Post continues below.
Glee was reportedly not a great set to work on.
Naya Rivera, whose character was Santana Lopez, described the Glee set as like a "polygamist cult" in her 2016 memoir, saying the cast would "bed-hop" and had "the sex drive of bunnies".
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