“Asheville gave me so much when I needed it most,” said the Glee alum, who revealed he “quietly moved” to the city in Spring 2022 amid “deep personal and professional turmoil.”
Matthew Morrison is opening up about his personal connection to Asheville, North Carolina amid the tragic devastation left by Hurricane Helene.
On Thursday, the Glee alum shared an emotional post on Instagram, in which he revealed that he moved to Asheville in Spring 2022 while he was “going through deep personal and professional turmoil,” crediting the city for “making him when everything felt like it was falling apart.”
While he did not go into specifics about said “turmoil,” the timing lines up with his May 2022 exit from So You Think You Can Dance. The actor was set to be one of the judges for Season 17, but was let go for purportedly violating his contract in privately reaching out to a contestant.
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“Not many people know this, but in the spring of 2022, my family and I quietly moved our lives to Asheville, North Carolina,” began Morrison, who shares son Revel, 6, and daughter Phoenix, 3, with wife Renee Puente. “It was a time when I was going through deep personal and professional turmoil. And somehow, by some grace, that city — its mountains, its art, its people — held me in a way that made me feel safe when everything felt like it was falling apart.”
“I can honestly say that Asheville saved me,” he said.
The Broadway star added he and his family recently left Asheville a few months ago.
“Fast forward to three months ago, we made the difficult decision to move again,” Morrison wrote, before reacting to Hurricane Helene tragedy. “And now, it’s gut-wrenching to see what’s happening there. The devastation… it’s beyond anything I could have imagined.”
As of Thursday morning, the death toll from Hurricane Helene has reached nearly 200 people across six states, along with many still missing, according to CNN. It is now the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
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In his post, Morrison made it seem like his mother still lives in Asheville, and recalled the “fear” he experienced when he didn’t hear from her for a few days.
“I finally heard from my mom after days of silence. The fear in those days, of not knowing, was paralyzing,” he said. “It’s not just property and roads — it’s lives. My heart breaks for the artists in the River Arts District who have lost everything. Almost every gallery, every studio, washed away. Their life’s work, their passion — gone.”
“Schools have been destroyed. Children will be out of school for months,” he continued. “A close friend told me she’s terrified to break the news to her child — that their teacher didn’t survive. How do you even find the words to say something like that?”
“I just keep inhaling… and exhaling… trying to process it all,” Morrison added. “Asheville gave me so much when I needed it most, and now, I feel called to give back. I hope that those who hear this, especially artists from all over, will step up and help raise awareness.”
“Asheville needs us,” he concluded before tagging several organizations and charities where people can donate and help.
The singer’s post also featured a carousel of photos. The first shot highlighted the devastation Asheville suffered from the flooding. The second slide was a screenshot listing several charities people can donate to. The other two photos in the carousel featured shots of Morrison’s children, seemingly during their time living in the North Carolina town.
