Naya Rivera is one of the more recognizable faces of Glee. She was one of the original cast members alongside Cory Monteith and Lea Michele. It’s understandable then that Monteith’s recent and unexpected death has hit her pretty hard.

Rivera finally opened up regarding Moneith’s death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:

“The entire Glee family and I are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Cory was and always will be a part of my own family and a good friend. He was a special part of this world and will forever be missed. My heart goes out to Cory’s family and Lea and while we are grateful for everyone’s well wishes, privacy during this time of grief is greatly appreciated.”

Monteith’s death must have been even more shocking for Lea Michele – Monteith’s on and off-screen girlfriend. She’s only released a statement asking for privacy thus far, but a source close to her says that she’s “going through hell right now.” She had reportedly planned out her whole life with Monteith as she saw him as her soulmate. Losing him before any of it could pan out has obviously been devastating for the young actress.

As for Monteith, Fox News reports that Vancouver police are still investigating the cause of his sudden death. They have ruled out foul play, and are even skeptical of claims that he died from drug use. An autopsy was planned for Monday, but we won’t hear anything back on that for several more days.

[Image: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons]