Lea Michele kept Cory Monteith close to her heart at the Teen Choice Awards 2013. In her first public appearance since her boyfriend and Glee costar's tragic July 13 death, Michele accepted the award for Choice TV Actress: Comedy at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif. on Sunday, Aug. 11.
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Michele, 26, paid tribute to Monteith by wearing a gold "Cory" necklace, which she frequently held while on stage. The actress looked beautiful in a pale pink tank top and hot pink skirt while bravely walking across the stage with a smile on her face.
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With tears in her eyes, Michele dedicated her award to Monteith in an emotional speech. "Thank you, guys. Thank you. I just wanted to be here today to personally thank all of you and tell everyone out there how much your love and support has meant to me over these very difficult past weeks," she said. "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," Michele continued, getting emotional. "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," she said while fighting back tears. "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."
This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Lea Michele Wears Cory Monteith Necklace, Hot Pink Ensemble at Teen Choice Awards