Ripened Berries: Youngest EGOT Winner Rachel Berry Allegedly Overdoses

Last night, Hollywood's elite gathered to celebrate the 97th Academy Awards Ceremony, where Rachel Berry took home Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Original Song for the adaptation of her Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning, original Broadway show, Starshine. The film took home nine awards out of fourteen nominations including Best Costume Design. At 30 years old, Rachel Berry has become the youngest EGOT Winner after securing a Grammy win three years ago for Best Musical Theater Album, and an Emmy five years ago for a guest spot on the serial law drama, The Great Divide.

However,the grass doesn't seem to be greener on the other side. Late last night at an afterparty hosted by Rachel, 9-1-1 dispatchers responded to a call from Miss Berry's Malibu residence where several stars and personal friends were gathered in attendance to celebrate Miss Berry's historical night. At this time, the details surrounding the call and Rachel's current state are mostly unknown. However, some outlets are reporting the actress was found unresponsive in her bathroom after an overdose. No details have been released to the public regarding her condition, but she is currently receiving treatment at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with family and close friends nearby.

The family is asking for privacy at this difficult time, and have made plans to release a statement on Ms. Berry's condition later today.

Related: Quinn Fabray 25, and Rachel Berry, 24, call it quits after 5 years together.

Outside of her own trailblazing career, Rachel Berry is widenly known as the ex of Hollywood starlet, Quinn Fabray. The two were classmates and 'kind of friends' in high school, but have also characterized their relationship back then as them being 'notorious rivals in gaining the affection of our mutual ex', who sadly passed away not long after they graduated from William McKinley High School in Lima, OH in 2012.

Quinn Fabray made a splash in the industry after graduating from Yale with a B.A. in theater. She nabbed her first role as Felicity in the YA sci-fi, fantasy series, The Thirteenth Sign. After three seasons, she departed the series and started cropping up in a series of indie film roles before catching her big break in, Season's End, gaining the attention big Hollywood producers and directors.

She has several awards of her own under her belt, including 2 Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress, an Emmy for Best Actress in a Limited Series, 5 People's Choice Awards for Female Movie Star of the Year, and nominations for 3 BAFTAs, an Academy Award, and 2 SAGs.

Related: Quinn Fabray says 'I try to bring out the humanity in my characters, even the not so nice ones because it is something often overlooked.'

Quinn and Rachel were together for 5 years, announcing their break up when Quinn made the transition from television star to indie movie star and alleged disagreements stemming from Quinn's rumored substance abuse. Quinn was a regular face amongst the clubbing scene in LA in the spring and summer of 2019. Two years after the break-up with Rachel, the actress checked herself into rehab. Since her release, she has preferred to keep a low profile, limiting publc appearances to press tours promoting her projects.

After their split, Quinn wasn't the only one who underwent some changes. Rachel made the transition from front stage to behind the curtain as she worked to bring her show from the page to the stage. Rachel began writing the music when she was a junior in high school after taking inspiration from a conversation with Fabray. She wrote the song 'Get It Right', popularized by its posting on Youtube, for a show choir competition after a heated argument with Quinn.

"Up until that point, I struggled to find the depth to write a song that could resonate not only with listeners but myself. I was a self-absorbed sixteen year with limited life experience. But that argument, it was the first I can remember feeling heartbroken, and yet challenged, "Rachel said. "At the time, I wanted to really prove to myself and to her that I could do it. If you would've asked me then, I would have attributed it to the realization that I had blown my chance with my ex because I was insecure. Now, I can look back and see it with older eyes. There were a lot of reasons that contributed to the demise of my relationship beyond my own failings."

"Going back to the song, I couldn't figure out why I need Quinn's approval or her assistance. I didn't know what I wanted from her. It was a confusing time for both of us. I remember just wanting to get things right, but instead I kept messing it all up. I was desperate for the love of someone who had a habit of wanting me when I was on the verge of moving on. The song was my way of processing my frustration, confusion, and heartbreak."

It took her a few years to recognize what she had, and from there she began to cultivate a show based on her own experiences growing up in Ohio with two gay fathers in the 90s and early 2000s. The show takes the viewer through her life including the tragic death of her one-time fiancé, and the beginning of her questioning her own sexuality.

"I always thought I was straight. As terrible as it sounds, I didn't want to be anything else. High school was hard enough because my school had a culture of jocks at the top and everyone else at the bottom. The hierarchy led to a lot of conflict and bullying. I was an easy target because I was too loud, too opinionated, and far too ambitious. The kids didn't know what to do with that. Being into girls was the last thing on my mind. My main goal was to get through school, but I also wanted to be someone. I didn't want my four years there to be meaningless. I thought being part of something special makes you special."

"I preferred to go with the status quo. I wanted to be like the rest of my peers. I had seen my dads struggle for so long with the bigots in our town. Kids egged our house a few times a year. It's part of the reason I became a vegan. They would spray paint slurs on our garage. The cops were useless, so we usually just painted over it. My classmates called me derogatory names like 'treasure trail' and 'dyke'. It cooled off a lot in junior year when I had a boyfriend who was relatively popular. It still stuck with me. I was taught to thrive on adversity and be resilient by my dads. I did my best not to let it get me down. At the end of the day, I was still a teenage girl. Despite the bullying, coming out was something different. I had seen the hardship they faced for just loving each other, and I didn't want my struggles to reflect theirs."

Rachel has been forthcoming from the start about her troubled upbringing and the struggles she faced from her peers and the people in her hometown.

"Parents would tell their kids not to be friends with me. I wasn't invited to birthday parties, and no one ever came to mine. One time a girl rescinded her invitation a day after giving it to me because her mother was worried I would 'spread the gay'. It was lonely for a long time until I joined the glee club. Although in the beginning I was totally obnoxious and self-centered, so even the other so-called losers wanted nothing to do with me. I was determined to be the star, and hated when anyone else was the center of attention. That mindset created a lot of friction between me and a few other members. I actually quit the club at one point. I was definitely part of the problem."

"When anyone else was given the opportunity to sing, I saw it as me being sidelined for people with inferior talents. I took it far too seriously, and it rubbed some of the other members the wrong way. I've made amends since then, but I still feel horrible for the way. I hogged the spotlight and treated my friends."

Two years ago, she opened up about her relationship with Quinn Fabray, beyond what was publicly known about them. Despite having attended the same school for over a year, they hadn't officially met until Quinn joined the aforementioned glee club, New Directions.

Related: Celebrities Share Their Coming Out Stories

"She absolutely hated me. In all fairness, I was trying to steal her boyfriend," she laughed. "Back then, I was stuck on this idea of being wanted by someone and having my leading man. I was almost fifteen and had never kissed anyone. Then the quarterback comes along. He had a decent enough voice and some passion. He wasn't bad on the eyes either. The remarkable thing about him was that he liked me."

"Quinn wasn't happy at all when he spent his free periods and after school with me and the rest of the club. We were five kids before joined. She was the captain of the Cheerios, which was a big deal. I was ruining everything. I think what I've always appreciated about her is that she's candid. She doesn't hold back. She told me how things were and really helped pull my head out of the clouds," Rachel said. "I was living this fairtale where you get the happy ending. It took me a long time to get out of that headspace. I nearly married my high school boyfriend when I was seventeen."

Rachel was in college when she began to question her sexuality and her feelings for her frenemy turned best friend. Berry was living in New York City and a student at Juilliard at the time, traveling everything other weekend to New Haven to visit Fabray.

They didn't start dating until their sophomore years when they both realized it was more than just friendship between them.

Related: Rachel Berry Talks About Mental Health Struggles and Her New Movie

Part of their meteoric rises to success was their relationship with each other. Fans, especially queer youth, loved seeing two young women unafraid of entering the industry without hiding their sexualities.

"I struggled with being my authentic self as an adolescent and young adult," Fabray said in 2018. "I was jealous of Rachel because for the most part she knew exactly who she was and what she wanted. So when I booked Felicity right before graduation, I refused to back into the closet. I was going to be an actress on my own terms. I found a team super supportive of my choice."

"My upbringing was not ideal for anyone questioning their sexuality. I came from an overly religious family with ultra conservative views, and outdated beliefs about the roles of men and women. It took me a long time to be okay with being me. Rachel helped a lot with that."

Quinn closes her computer.

For clarification, Quinn typically avoids running her name through search engines if she can help it; in fact, after her break-up with Rachel almost six years ago, she refused to read any article featuring her name or Rachel's. The interest in them had died down for a bit until the Washing D.C. and San Franciscio previews of Starshine revived interest in their shared history. Theater lovers and their respective fans got a small peek at what lay beneath the surface. While Quinn enjoyed the show- she saw it five times, twice during previous- she hated the extra scrutiny it brought to her life. Everyone help up a magnifying glass, trying to dissect her.

Interviewers began to ask about the relationship, her parents, and high school at an alarming frequency. It overshadowed the projects she was promoting. People wanted to know about the Quinn Fabray that was a mean, popular girl with insecurities longer than the Nile. Her mother had made a poor attempt to console her for a year, conceding defeat when Quinn couldn't take anymore of her mother's attempts at comfort. Talking wasn't going to make the public lose interest.

Worse, everyone wanted to know Quinn's side of the story, whether there was some bias in Rachel's portrayed, based on her perception of how events unfolded. She almost wished there was, but she expected nothing less than honest from Rachel. The girl had practically been writing her memoirs as they happened. Though, Quinn maintains the position that Rachel softened and humanized the character based on Quinn to a degree that it's a complete departure from reality. In the show, she comes across as someone with complex emotions and motivations, nagivating the cesspool of high school.

The thing is, when Quinn says she was the embodiment of the cliche, high school mean girl trope, she truly means it. Not that her fans or the press believe her.

By all accounts, Quinn was the idea girl. She was popular, a member of two national winning groups, straight A student, involved in several student activities, volunteered at the soup kitchen, and the valedictorian of her class. Add on that she was homeless for nearly six months (not that anyone know the truth behind the reason her parents kicked her out), Quinn's life plays out like one of those troubled teens who turns their life around movies on Lifetime.

It helped feed into the interest and popularity surrounding her. Fans assumed her parents kicked her out and eventually divorced because they suspected she was gay. Quinn has never refuted this version of events to protect Shelby and Beth from the media invasion; bible thumpers have already condemned her to hell, she doesn't them going after her daughter too.

That's why she searched for the perfect team to handle contracts, her image, her schedule. She trusted them with her entire life. Quinn knew from the beginning she was going to be upfront about her sexuality. It was 2016. She refused to hide. Her team found a way to spin the story to their advantage, to depict Quinn and Rachel as a representation of shifting ideals and increased acceptance amongst young millenials and gen z. Rabid fans consumed every insta post, tweet, pap siting featuring them. They were dubbed with the portmanteau Faberry. There were theories about them on Reddit, twitter, and every other social media site. Many were positive that they secretly dated in high school, playing musical chairs with beards to keep anyone from suspecting the truth. The majority of it was absurd, often delighting Rachel as they grew more outlandish.

'You know you've made it when fans make up details about your life and want to know every little thing about you.'

To this day, half the articles with Quinn's name feature Rachel. And rumors still circulate every week about possible reconciliations. It's why the People article showed up in her notifications.

"Fuck Rachel, what did you do?"

In high school, Quinn was unsympathetic to the struggles other people faced. Because of her upbringing, she believed suicide was a sin, and that anyone who chose to take their own life was selfish. She regrets that now, having lost two friends. She wishes she'd had more empathy for David back then. He was braver than her. Seventeen year old Quinn was sailing on the river denial.

Having a better understanding of suicide and mental health, she knows that whatever happened last night is serious. That Rachel is in trouble.

Rachel —one of two people in the world with the power to destroy her— needs help, and Quinn needs to see her. Six years may have passed, but she cares more than words could ever express.

It's hard to believe that Rachel would do this. She weathered slushies and slurs, rejection and betrayal. She was resilient to a fault. It's what Quinn loves and hates about her. And it's why she was the last person Quinn thought this would happen to. It was impossible. Rachel wouldn't do this. She couldn't. She's Rachel.

"What do I do?" She spins her chair, staring out into the expanse of her backyard. When they parted ways, it fractured her other relationships from glee. Santana called her a 'heartless, fucking bitch' and hoped she died alone and miserable for the callous way she left her girlfriend. Kurt was Rachel's best friend. It was a given he'd take her side. He told her he knew it would end in heartbreak. 'You don't know how to be happy, and Rachel deserves better than someone who would do this to her. Do her a favor and leave her alone. You've caused enough damage.'

So no to texting them, she thinks. There is Mercedes, however that friendship took a hit too. They haven't talked in three years. Mercedes took her to rehab, and Quinn was too much of a coward to call her when she got out. What could she say? Mercedes found her passed out in her own vomit and forced her hand: go to rehab or they were done. Mercedes refused to watch Quinn self-destruct. 'Girl, you are too smart for all of this nonsense. You need help. It's no longer as simple as me offering you a place to live. I can't watch you kill yourself.'

She had no words. Mercedes had saved her again and she had nothing to offer her. So she kept her distance.

Calls or texts from her are guaranteed to be ignored or deleted. If Santana is feeling generous, she might send a 'fuck off'. Kurt will for sure give her the brush off. There's no doubt about that. And she refuses to try Hiram or LeRoy at a time like this when their first and only priority should be about their daughter's well-being. It wouldn't feel right to prod them for information. Despite their kindness towards her before and after, her stomach churns at the thought of prying.

it leaves one option.

There are about 50 things preventing her from going to the hospital. One of them is facing her former friends after five years of radio silence. She's not preparedto unravel the tangled threads of her past. But her need to check on Rachel outweighs all of that.

She needs to see Rachel. To see the rise and fall of her chest, the rosy flush of her cheeks. To feel the warmth of her skin. She knows her therapist is going to have a field day at her next appointment as they wade through this mess. Quinn pushes that away, it's four days away. Rachel is her present worry and focus.

Alerts continue to ping on her phone from every major news outlet, texts from concerned friends, and fans commenting on old posts she never deleted. Quinn bites her lip, now or never. Before she can second guess her decision, she grabs the keys off the little hooks Rachel installed when Quinn first moved into the beach house and runs to her car.

Whether they want her or not, Quinn is going to be there.


A/N — I am rewriting. It's a familiar song and dance with me. In this case, it's because I really hated how this was written, particularly the first person aspect of it. I tend to write primarily in the third person. It helps me to really get into the characters' minds and set the scene.