Actress Kim Delaney was escorted off the stage at the Liberty Medal ceremony in Philadelphia Thursday night. The event was in honor of former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Delaney's speech was incoherent at times, and she appeared confused and disheveled. While she wouldn't be the first celebrity to blunder onstage at an award ceremony, the stature of the event, which included video tributes from former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, further highlighted the erratic behavior.

The Liberty Medal is awarded each year to individuals or organizations who strive to bring liberty to those around the world. This year's recipient is Gates, who served as the nation's Secretary of Defense from 2006-2011 and as Director of the CIA under the first President Bush.

Delaney stars in the Lifetime Drama Army Wives, a fictionalized account of four women whose husbands serve on active miltary duty. In her speech, Delaney said, "It's all make believe. I do that as a job. It's make believe. I have the luxury to do all of this on a television show." However, these comments came only after a minute of rambling about attending numerous military funerals, a reference to the show that was made to seem like Delaney had personally experienced these tragedies. The audience looked on in discomfort while Delaney fought to get her bearings, pausing often before picking up in a new place. About two minutes into the speech, Delaney was escorted off the stage by a production assistant.

Delaney, 49, broke into television on the soap opera All My Children. She is best known for her role as Detective Diane Russell on the popular 1990s police drama NYPD Blue. Army Wives is in its fifth season.

Watch Delaney's speech:

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