Glee star Cory Monteith passed away yesterday, and his girlfriend and co-star Lea Michele’s rep has released a short statement following the tragic news.

We reported late last night that 31-year-old Glee actor Cory Monteith was found dead in a hotel room in Vancouver, Canada.

While #RIPCoryMonteith became a fast Twitter trend, the public seemed equally worried about his girlfriend Lea Michele, who also played Finn’s girlfriend Rachel on the show.

Both #PrayforLea and #StayStrongLea quickly began to trend worldwide as well, symbolically placing Lea Michele and Cory Monteith’s names next to each other again.

Now, Lea Michele’s rep has issued a short statement to People.com, which reads, “We ask that everyone kindly respect Lea’s privacy during this devastating time.”

Michele and Monteith had been dating for over a year.

When Monteith checked himself into rehab last year, Michele tweeted her support for him, writing, “I love and support Cory and will stand by him through this. I am grateful and proud he made his decision.”

This is truly a tragedy, and we hope that Glee fans will respect Michele’s need for privacy in this time.

Monteith’s own rep also issued a statement earlier this morning, writing, “We are so saddened to confirm that the reports on the death of Cory Monteith are accurate. We are in shock an mourning this tragic loss.”

Related: How should ‘Glee’ handle Cory Monteith’s death?