Glenn Weiss was seemingly minding his own business, ascending the Emmys stage to accept the award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special — he directed this years’ Oscars — when he started getting a bit nervous. And well, know we know why: He decided to use his speech to propose to his girlfriend Jan Svendsen, a woman who his mother loved before she passed away earlier this month. “Jan, you’re the love of my life, and my mom was right, never let go of your sunshine. You wonder why I don’t like to call you my girlfriend? Because I want to call you my wife,†he said, with the crowd going nuts. “I want to put this ring on your finger in front of all of these people and in front of my mom and your parents watching from above. Will you marry me?†Trust us, watch this video in full. Congrats you two!
Update: “There was no plan B,†Weiss later told reporters backstage. “This was a thought that grew and grew, and just became… If this didn’t happen exactly in this way, something else big and surprising would have happened.†Weiss, ever the conscientious awards-show director, also thanked the Emmys’ director Hamish Hamilton for keeping Svendsen on camera for as long as he did.
Svendsen and Weiss had previously worked on the Tony Awards together, where she bonded with his mother. He also revealed that the ring he proposed to her with was his mother’s. “It’s not a diamond ring,†Weiss said. “It’s my mom’s wedding ring, which to me is more valuable than a diamond. “I was just so grateful that he won, and I really hoped he was going to dedicate the award to his mother,†Svendsen added. “And he did and then some. I’m still processing this.â€
Scott Huver contributed reporting.