Lea Michele Needs Privacy During Devastating Time In what must be one of the toughest times of her young life, Lea Michele, 26, is asking for some space while she deals with the death of boyfriend Cory Monteith, 31. The "Glee" star and Michele's off-screen love interest since early 2012 was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room Saturday afternoon with the cause still unknown. Read: "Glee" Star Cory Monteith Found Dead "We ask that everyone kindly respect Lea's privacy during this devastating time," Michele's rep told ABC News. Lea had been supportive and stood by Cory, as he decided to enter rehab for a month-long treatment this past March. Read More On Cory's Decision To Enter Rehab Lea met Cory in the middle of 2009, when they began co-starring in the first season of "Glee." There was a strong connection from the moment they met, with rumors of a relationship as early as 2010. But it wasn't until Michele broke it off with Broadway actor Theo Stockman at the end of 2011, that the two were able to make it official in 2012. Things got pretty serious almost immediately. For the cover of Marie Claire's January 2013 issue, Michele said, "I don't even remember a time when [Cory] wasn't my boyfriend... He makes me feel like I can do anything." Image Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for VH1