On Sunday night, Lea Michele made her first public appearance after the death of Cory Monteith, her Glee co-star and real-life boyfriend. After winning the Teen Choice Award for Best TV Actress - Comedy, Michele appeared onstage with other Glee cast members. She began, "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." Michele had previously tweeted a similar sentiment.
She went on to dedicate her award to Monteith, saying, "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." Michele was very emotional throughout her speech. She concluded by saying, "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."
A photo of Monteith was then projected on the stage, as Michele embraced her Glee co-stars.
Glee returns on Sept. 26. The third episode of the season will be a tribute to Monteith and his character, Finn Hudson.