Replies to post #242131 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

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The fall of Mark Salling, ‘Glee’ star and Christian songster, arrested on child porn charges
December 30, 2015
[...]
Though Salling. who played Noah “Puck” Puckerman on “Glee,” had defenders — “Michael Jackson was an innocent man, the world’s false accusations ruined him,” one tweet reminded [ https://twitter.com/Cali4niaDreams/status/681952416821030913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw ] — the list of celebrities who recover from child porn scandals is not long. And it’s worth remembering that Salling, a Christian musician who once rocked in the name of the lord, wasn’t even supposed to be here.
Salling’s love affair with music began with the piano, which he took up at age 5. However, growing up evangelical in Dallas, some genres were verboten.
“Madonna was considered the she-devil,” he said in 2010 [ http://dev.hollyscoop.com/glee/glee-cast-channels-inner-madonna.html ].
[...]
Indeed, Salling’s pre-“Glee” efforts proved less than radio-friendly. Recorded under the very Christian-rock name Jericho, one of Salling’s tracks, “Yoked Equally,” appears to slight those unwilling to embrace Christ. Chorus lyric: “The heavenly father shines down on me until the day I am yoked equally.” (Those seeking more information on the Christian concept of being “equally yoked” with a partner in faith can begin their exploration here [ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+6%3A14&version=KJV ]). Suffice it to say, Salling contemplates a cross on a hilltop in the video [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYaPXEqJaK4 (next below; with comments)].

[...]
All did not go well, however. “Glee” soon hit ratings trouble — not to mention the upheaval caused by the 2013 death of cast member Cory Monteith [ https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/cory-monteith-glee-actor-dies-at-31/2013/07/14/c3c845d0-eca0-11e2-a1f9-ea873b7e0424_story.html ]. That year, Salling appeared in fewer episodes [ http://tvline.com/2013/06/28/glee-season-5-cast-heather-morris-mark-salling-not-returning/ ] as the show wound down. He was also hit with a sexual battery lawsuit from an ex-girlfriend, who alleged he had unprotected sex [ http://www.eonline.com/news/639999/glee-s-mark-salling-settles-sexual-battery-lawsuit-with-former-girlfriend-ordered-to-pay-2-7-million ] with her despite her request he use a condom, and was eventually ordered to pay $2.7 million [ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/12/29/glee-star-mark-salling-arrested-in-child-pornography-case/ ], according to the terms of a settlement agreement he entered into in order to resolve the case.
“You hear about fraudulent lawsuits all the time,” Salling said at the time [ http://www.eonline.com/news/639999/glee-s-mark-salling-settles-sexual-battery-lawsuit-with-former-girlfriend-ordered-to-pay-2-7-million ]. “Until it happens to you, you really don’t grasp what it does, not to just you, but to your family …You just have to stay positive, and I personally have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I count on that myself.”
In the days ahead, Salling — now out on $20,000 bail with a Jan. 22 court date — may need to rely on that relationship more than ever.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/12/30/the-fall-of-mark-salling-christian-glee-star-arrested-on-child-porn-charges/ [with embedded videos, and comments]