Lea Michele made a public appearance last night at the Teen Choice Awards, her first since the sudden death of her Glee costar and boyfriend Cory Monteith in July. The 26-year-old actress received the award for Best Actress in a TV Comedy for her role as Rachel Berry, and the emotional acceptance speech that followed left the audience in tears.
In the speech, she thanked her Glee fans for their unwavering support following Cory’s death. “I just wanted to be here today to personally thank all of you and tell everyone out there how much all of your love and support has meant to me over these…weeks,” she told the audience.
She continued, “Not that I had any doubt before, but you guys are most certainly the greatest fans in the world. I wanted to dedicate this award to Cory. For all of you out there who loved and admired Cory as much as I did, I promise that with your love we’re going to get through this together. He was very special to me and also to the world and we were very lucky to witness his incredible talent, his handsome smile, and his beautiful, beautiful heart. So, whether you knew him personally or just as Finn Hudson, Cory reached out and he became a part of all of our hearts and that’s where he’ll stay forever. So, thank you guys so much. Thank you.”
After the speech, she was embraced by her Glee cast mates, while an image of Cory was projected on the stage.
You have our support too, Michele!