Lea Michele Thanks Boyfriend for Making Her 'Smile Again'

ABC/Fred Lee(NEW YORK) — Lea Michele celebrated the 30th birthday of her current beau, Matthew Paetz, on Sunday with a touching Instagram post thanking him for making her “smile again” following the tragic death of her former boyfriend and Glee co-star, Cory Monteith.

“Matthew, thank you for bringing such happiness into my life. For making me smile again and bringing such a bright joy into my every day,” the 28-year-old actress captioned a photo of herself flashing a big smile as Paetz plants a big kiss on her cheek.

“May this be the happiest Birthday ever!” added Michele.

Lea and Matthew, who met on the set of her 2014 music video “On My Way,” have been dating for about a year.

Paetz, a model and aspiring actor, is Michele’s first serious romance after Monteith’s death from a drug overdose in July 2013.

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