His attorney, Michael Proctor, released a statement to PEOPLE, confirming the sad news.
'I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning. Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment,' he said. 'He is survived by his mother and father, and his brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected.'
Although his cause of death has not yet been released, it is believed that Salling committed suicide.
The former Glee star pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor on October 4, 2017. After taking a plea deal in December, he was due to be sentenced in March and expected to serve four to seven years in prison.
Twitter has since been flooded with varying views on the actor's death.
For life saving information please call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.
This article originally appeared on New Idea.
