The death of "Glee" star Cory Monteith had fans and followers of the actor reeling from the news. Apart from his family members and close friends, one person was left stunned by his defeat in the battle against drug use: co-star and real life girlfriend Lea Michele. Following the news that her then romantic partner and onscreen lover succumbed to his unhealthy habit, Lea Michele opted to keep mum and process the incident on her own. Staying away from the cameras and the incessant demands of her fan base did Lea Michele good as the "Glee" star eventually emerged stronger and more capable of dealing with the tragedy involving Cory Monteith's death.
Months following news of Cory Monteith's passing, rumors began to surface that Lea Michele has a new man in her life in the person of Matthew Paetz. Unknown to the public, however, the "Scream Queens" actress did not immediately jump into the dating scene to hook a new boyfriend. Instead, Lea Michele opted to completely allow herself to heal from the trauma of Cory Monteith's death and see herself regain her balance.
"I wanted to make sure that I was okay with me, feeling strong and feeling happy on my own," shared Lea Michele in an interview with Flare Magazine, referring to her choice to stay away from the dating world before resolving her personal issues involving the death of Cory Monteith. The "Scream Queens" star went on to say, "I didn't want anybody to fill any holes for me-that sounds sexual! 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."
Lea Michele further shared, "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. And that's when someone miraculously came into my life."
Meanwhile, Lea Michele shared that her co-star Emma Roberts is one of the few people she truly look up to and draw inspiration from. She said, "Emma speaks up for herself, she stands up for herself, she takes care of herself, and those are the kinds of girls I want to be around." Lea Michele went on to say that she wants to help eliminate all the "craziness" and "unhealthy" ideas planted in young people's minds today by becoming a good role model herself.
I'm taking over @FLAREfashion's Insta for a special #TBT from my Oct. cover shoot! #LeaxFLARE http://t.co/n8BrMZUmYu pic.twitter.com/64udS8wQAS
"” Lea Michele (@msleamichele) August 27, 2015
