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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Lea Michele believes late boyfriend Cory Monteith would approve of her new beau, Matthew Paetz. The 29-year-old actress said as much in an interview with the Fempire podcast Tuesday. Michele and Monteith, who co-starred as Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson on Fox series Glee, were dating when the actor died at age 31 in July 2013.
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"[Matthew] is very respectful of [Cory]," the star said. "And that again is something that I love so much about him and I really know that Cory would love him, too. And that's all that we really hold within our hearts, and so does everyone else in my life."
Michele and Paetz met on the set of the actress' music video for "On My Way" in April 2014, and started dating shortly after. The former Glee star said she avoids talking about her personal life due to backlash from fans about her new relationship.
"People really use [social media] to project a lot of hate," she said. "I love my fans and they're incredible ... [but] every time I do post a picture [with Matthew] it's just a landslide of comments that talk about my past and bring that up, rather than projecting positivity."
"I don't think anyone is really projecting hate," she qualified. "It is positive, it's nothing so, so terrible, but at the end of the day, we have to remember that what we put out there, it manifests and it creates energy, and you should want to be the person that chooses to take that second to do something positive."
Michele dedicated songs to Monteith on her 2014 album Louder, and commemorates the late actor each year on his birthday. Her last post included a photo of Monteith playing the drums captioned, "I know you're serenading everyone right now.. We love you Cory! Happy Birthday."
Michele and Paetz looked the happy couple as they cuddled and kissed at the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors game Tuesday. The actress last starred on the debut season of Scream Queens, and will voice Pinki in the animated movie Bollywood Superstar Monkey.
