Entertainment

Lea Michele's Rep Releases Statement to Fans

by Rachel Reid

Glee fans have been mourning the loss of 31-year old actor Cory Monteith since his sudden death in Vancouver Saturday. Details surrounding the tragedy were released by the British Columbia Coroner's Service on Tuesday, stating that the star, who had previously been open about his struggles with addiction, "died of a mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol."

Outreach to Lea Michele, Monteith's long-time girlfriend and co-star, has been overwhelming — #PrayforLea began trending almost immediately after Monteith's passing. Us Weekly reports that a rep for the actress released the following statement today, marking Michele's first public response to the situation:

"Lea is deeply grateful for all the love and support she's received from family, friends, and fans. Since Cory's passing, Lea has been grieving alongside his family and making appropriate arrangements with them. They are supporting each other as they endure this profound loss together. We continue to ask the media to respect the privacy of Lea and Cory's family."

The couple, who had been dating on-and-off since 2012, reportedly were planning to move in together when Monteith returned from Vancouver.