Lea Michele lost a co-star, a friend and the love of her life when Cory Monteith passed away two years ago. Following his passing, Lea kept an open dialogue with fans of the show in remembrance of his life and their time together. A lot has changed over the past few years; she now has a starring role in the new TV show, Scream Queens, as well as a new boyfriend. As she’s moving into this next phase of her life, Lea’s been sharing what it took for her to find love again after Cory’s passing.
Today we remember the laughter and joy you brought into our lives every day. We think of you always and love you so❤️ pic.twitter.com/Mr98lUetpb
— Lea Michele (@msleamichele) July 13, 2015
Last month, she posted a photo of Cory on Twitter, remembering him for his laughter and the joy he brought into the lives he touched. More recently, in an interview with Flare Magazine, the actress and singer revealed what she had to do before she could start a new relationship. “I wanted to make sure that I was OK with me, feeling strong and feeling happy on my own. I didn’t want anybody to fill any holes for me. I wanted to make sure that I was a whole person again and that no one was coming into my life to put me back together,” she said.
Her strength is so inspiring to us—and we love that Lea has brought herself up to that point.
“I needed to do that on my own. I worked very, very, very hard and I got back to that place where I was genuinely happy and strong and ready to live again and see the world and, you know, bring in more beautiful experiences,” she said. “And that’s when someone miraculously came into my life.”
The someone she is referring to is her boyfriend of nearly a year, Matthew Paetz. The pair reportedly met while she was making a music video for her single “On My Way,” and the two have been seen together since 2014.