Lea Michele seems like she is a high-maintenance drama queen in every aspect of her life. I would imagine being her friend, coworker or boyfriend would be an exercise in torture. But thatâs just me: maybe sheâs completely fine and her public persona is wildly different than who she really is. In any case, sheâs found someone who will love her and cherish her for the rest of her life. Yes, Lea Michele is engaged. She posted the above Instagram this weekend, and People Mag confirms:
Lea Michele is a bride-to-be! The Glee alum, 31, announced her engagement to boyfriend Zandy Reich on Instagram Saturday, posting a photo of herself with her ring-bearing hand on her face. âYes,â she wrote in the caption, including a diamond ring emoji.
âThe couple couldnât be happier,â a source close to the pair tells PEOPLE.
After over a year of dating, Reich, the president of clothing company AYR, proposed to Michele with a four-carat elongated radiant cut ring that he personally designed with Leor Yerushalmi and The Jewelers of Las Vegas.
A rep for Michele confirms the engagement news to PEOPLE. The couple was first romantically linked in July 2017.
So many questions. Is his name really ZANDY REICH? Or is that some kind of stage name or funky-hip pretend name like Ned RocknRoll? Did his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Reich, look at their infant son and say, âYou know what? Letâs do it – letâs name him ZANDY?â Is Zandy short for something? Zandel? Alezandy? Zanderella? E! News also notes that apparently his surname is pronounced âRich.â Zandy R(e)ich. Huh.
I also have questions about the ring⊠he designed it himself? A radiant cut diamond? Why that cut, I wonder? Hm. Itâs not a bad ring, per se, I just would have thought that Lea would be more into a more classic-seeming diamond. Like a simple princess-cut solitaire or something. But again, who knows? Congrats to them, in any case. Here are some photos of Lea and Zandy at the Elton John Oscar party in March:
Photos courtesy of Instagram, Getty, WENN.
That ring is SO tacky and she is so tacky. Most people who get engaged include the person who bought the ring in the announcement photo. Maybe marriage will quench some of her thirst, but probably not. Good luck, Zandy.
Exactly. Call me old fashioned but I thought getting engaged was more about committing to the person you love than getting a big ring. Sigh.
I read four carats and it made me think of Hilary Duff who got a big stone (1 carat or more?) when she got engaged to the guy she is now divorced from (translation : really short marriage). I’m thinking maybe a big stone is a curse of some kind. Maybe it foreshadows that the couple are more into appearances than the actual experience of being married?
Nah, narcissism is the curse. I am four carat round lady myself! The halo crap and band are hideous. Too trendy from yesterday.
I would assume “Zandy” is short for Xander. And, wow, she’s gorgeous but did she borrow that dress from someone who is a foot shorter and two sizes smaller because … that’s what it looks like.
I agree, that dress does not fit her. However, she wore it for one purpose: to get noticed and photographed with it. Girl has to keep having her diva moments.
But I thought Xander was short for Alexander? I think his full name is Zandrew. Yup, T
that’s my official guess.
Xander can be short for Alexander, but it’s also a popular name now in its own respect, and has for quite some time. Just like Alex can be short of Alexander, or a name all on its own.
I do agree, that dress does her no favors. Who the hell would not stop and say: um, you sure you want to go out looking like a hot mess???
That dress is from the Oscar after parties. She posted the most cringeworthy photos on Instagram. Like phone held in front of her, cleavage level, as she used her arms to squeeze her boobs together, a doe-eyed look on her face. It was gross on so many levels.
The dress is way too small for her, it wasnât supposed to fit with the top so far apart like that. This is it on the runway https://fashionsizzle.com/2018/03/06/lea-michele-in-la-perla-elton-johns-aids-foundation-academy-awards-viewing-party/
Looks so much better on the model.
Not only is Lea about a foot shorter than the model, but it appears to have been intentionally altered into a deeper V. If you look, the shape is different
That ring is ugly. Please tell me iâm not the only one who sees that.
Is it the cut?? Itâs definitely tacky
It’s not pretty. It’s big. There’s a difference.
And that dress looks like she forgot to put the top on.
Apparently subtlety isn’t her strong point.
Would it be really expensive? It looks huge…(but cheap at the same time).
I agree it’s a fugly ring. It’s also the exact style, lots of little diamonds surrounding the center stone to make it appear larger, that every single young(ish) wife, mom and fiancee has around here.
I kinda’ get why someone on a budget may want their engagement diamond to look bigger, but is that really necessary when you’re already looking at a 4 ct stone? Or is it just super tacky, like her manicure (and dress)?
Also, are we sure Lea isn’t just auditioning for a Real Housewives Broadway franchise?
So glad you said it. I have always been a halo hater. I get that they are extremely popular but I dislike them for the exact reasons you state. To each their own. I have a solitaire. With a diamond that large there is no point in having a tiny cluster surrounding it. Yuck.
It’s also super weird that a celeb would want something that looks like the most popular style from their local mall’s Zales.
Count me among the halo haters. I like solitaires, or at the most, maybe tiny accent diamonds on either side.
Itâs called a halo ring and it makes the ring look huge. We went engagement ring shopping a few weeks ago and tried on this cut because we were trying to find a way to use a bunch of small diamonds from my fiancĂ©âs grandmother. While the ring looked pretty, all I could think of was that it made me look try-hard, which is a really bad look on a middle aged bride.
Ladies, Grace Kellyâs 10 carat emerald cut Cartier ring proved that you can have big and still look đđ» awesome
Very tacky and cheap looking.
My husband bought me a 0.55 carat solitaire in Dubai on deployment. It was all he could afford at the time. Even if I could trade it in at a store like Tiffany, I would not. 17 years later, we had it re-set in a halo with accent diamonds on the band. I love it. It does not look like I bought it at Zales.
Agree with all of these comments. Here to point out that all of these factors make this ring so perfect for her.
Yep, it probably looks like you bought it at Zales. The reason halos are so popular is they make small, inadequate diamonds pop.
+1 Lol. Would have been shocked if she’d opted for something more classic and tasteful.
I think it is the halo setting and pave band. It would have looked better in a simple trellis setting.
Actress Delta Burke told the story of going with finance Gerald McRaney to buy her engagement ring. It was a high end shop and the salesperson asked politely what type of ring she was looking for. She said something like “I want the biggest rock you’e got”. Well, at least she was honest about it. And they are still married (since 1989!).
Delta ended up with a lovely oval cut – simple elegant and probably 4-5 carats.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2862930/PICTURE-EXCLUSIVE-bouffant-long-gone-heavy-makeup-rarely-seen-Designing-Woman-star-Delta-Burke-says-life-good.html
Radiants are an awful cut. They are not radiant, they are hideous. Jessica Biel has one from the same jeweler who is apparently trying to make them happen. When brides have a choice, the radiant is almost never it.
I think the whole Wedding Day Journey with her will be Extra EXTRA.
I’m really glad I can avoid her Wedding Day Journey, unlike the three I’ve endured in the past five years at my work. Every. Single. Morning, Lunchtime and Afternoon Recess. Just as we suffered through 18 months of one wedding plan and breathed a sigh of relief when the wedding finally took place, within two weeks, another colleague started her Very Public Wedding Journey. Twice. I do feel as if I could now start up my own one-stop-shop wedding organising business, though.
@AnnaKist Haha..that sounds as bad as the pregnancy that will never end in my office. My colleague talks non-stop about every. aspect. of. her. pregnancy. At least it will go faster than your 18 months of wedding planning!
At least you didn’t have the Wedding Day Journey where they were also building their customized house at the same time. Wedding! Reception details! Matching appliances! Floor plans! It was like it would never stop.
Well if the Kâs can build an empire on hate-watching …
Lea Michele: My Extra EXTRA Life!!
That is just… big. And not big in a good way, big in an ugly way.
Yup
Oh, that dress. GMAFB. Thirsty, thirsty. And their body language is hilariousâ he looks proud and happy, sheâs completely posing for the camera and merely tolerating him.
Ha so true.
She has Starter Marriage Face in these photos.
agree
A big ole radiant cut is perfect for her. She’s super extra.
is it me or does the stone look crooked?
The band is too thin for the diamond so it looks off.
Congrats to them. He at least seems above board, being an owner of a clothing label. Better than the former prostitute or drug addict, rip.
I am so tired of these nitwits claiming to have designed the rings. The rings are all the same. They went to a jeweler and picked out an available diamond, picked the available setting and the jeweler put them together. People do this every day in jewelry stores.
Even Prince Harry is pulling this garbage. Granted, the diamonds he chose have great meaning but the design of Meghanâs engagement ring is a standard three stone ring. Leaâs is a standard halo ring.
For what it’s worth, my husband really did design my ring. I saw the… whatever you call the illustrations. He went through a couple rounds of edits with the jewelry company to create my ring. I’ve been married 8 years and this year is the first time I’ve ever seen a ring similar to mine!
It’s a pear diamond, halo (don’t hate) with pave stones on the sides. It does look really unique. And I love it!
My husband did the same thing. It took him like 3-4 months of back and forth with the jeweler, sent back the first one because the halo (haaaay) didn’t fit the cut of my diamond right.
Thing is though that a lot of men WANT drama queens. It’s what they know, it’s what they expect of women and it’s what they can handle, as long as she acts inside these high-maintenance “rules”. He looks like one of these men.
True. It is like their version of a solid gold jet ski. Wheee!
Liberty, lol! Also: fact.
So true! This is the type of guy who will call a woman “My Queen” and rush to fulfill her every wish. Smiling with delight as she complains yet again.
Evidence that there is, in fact, ‘a lid for every pot’ đ
Mazel tov, you two crazy kids!
The ring is too big for my taste but I wish her well. I love her voice and frankly, have a soft spot for slightly high maintenance women who just get called that because they know what they want and have a plan to get it.
HollyGo – my thoughts exactly. She really does have an amazing voice and though I don’t remember her dancing skills, she can sing and based on her resume, apparently she can act. She’s always had a plan, known what she wanted and worked hard to get there. High maintenance? Whatever makes others sleep at night. She’s working at being the best Rachel Berry … WHOOPS! She’s working at being the best Lea Michelle she can be…. đ
agree with both of y’all. I can’t help but like her. She has an incredible voice. I put her in the Barbra, Mariah category for that reason. Girlfriend works hard at being the best version of herself she can be.. even if it’s super extra.
I saw that dress on IG and just thought “bless her heart” because… not a good look. It just wasn’t.
High maintenance is one thing. Mean is another.
That dress is ridiculous.
Nice ring but too big for me. And yes I totally think thatâs sheâs Rachel in real life. She has a beautiful voice but she always come across as so extra extra.
Just to set the record straight, princess cuts aren’t classic. They’re 90’s. Not to say they’re not still out there, but so are marquise cuts.
Radiant cuts are gorgeous, but 4 carats is just ridiculous. Holy cow, it’s never going to sit upright on her hand! The sheer weight will be dragging it sideways all the time. It’s dragging toward the earth in this photo too.
I’m a jeweler — when someone says they designed a ring, it means they didn’t use a mounting from the store but had a mounting custom made for the stone they chose. They decided everything about the ring, from the metal to whether there would be stones on the shank and halo. So, yeah, it’s legit to say he designed it.
Youâve got to have huge hands to pull off rings that size. I wish people like Lea Michele and Kim Kardashian understood that their hands look ridiculous with enormous diamonds.
Good luck with that, dudey
Leaâs face looks like … The ring is three sizes too big for that finger. Why do women get these overly large rings? How many pizzas does she need to eat to fill in that ring? Or, is it a PR stunt for the ring designer and theyâre making hers with a lower quality, smaller weight stone? That he can afford? Because when you see a ring like that, that man either doesnât love that woman and wants to impress someone or that woman doesnât love that man and doesnât want to miss out on wedding attention. Because what in the motherduck is that thing doing on the goddamn Internet. (Wait, Iâve seen him. Heâs overcompensating) Hello thieves, go to Leaâs house and steal that! Now!
I wish her happiness in her marriage to come. It must feel lovely but complicated after her grief for Corey. I wish Zandy all the best, filling the shoes of a dead lover seems difficult, I donât know if id be up for the task.
Deets, itâs pretty well-known that their relationship was entirely a PR move.
I mean… still… the guy died. I don’t know if it was a PR move or whatever, but that must still be traumatic, and I’m glad she’s finding happiness now.
Reich but pronounced as “rich”, huh? That’s one way of avoiding association with the Third Reich. I would have just changed the name though.
Reich is simply the German word for Realm. It also means Rich. It’s a word that existed before WW2 and will continue to do so. Just because you have limited understanding of another language and only know of it in relation to WW2 does not mean someone with that last name needs to change. Maybe he loves his family and is proud of his family history?
Of course I know what it actually means and the fact it has been used before WWII. The whole fact that it’s considered the THIRD Reich is kind of a give-away, even for people not fluent in the language. Don’t be snide.
Just because a word has a certain dictionary meaning doesn’t mean it’s the meaning people associate it with. For example, “gay” technically means happy, lighthearted and exuberant. It has had that definition for hundreds of years, longer than it has acted as another name for homosexuals. But if you call a person gay in today’s society, everyone is going to assume you mean homosexual. Similarly, the swastika itself has existed for ages as a sacred symbol for Hinduism/Buddhism. But I promise you if you draw it on your face most people will think Nazi instead of Buddhist.
Changing your last name doesn’t mean denouncing your heritage. Sometimes it just means the name has come to become associated with something you don’t, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if a person IS proud of their last name, they certainly wouldn’t go around telling people not to use the proper pronunciation of their last name. How’s that for pride?
And we go back to my original point, which was if he’s not proud of the associating his last name invites and actively tells people to call him by what is essentially another name, why not just change it?
I mean why would you change your name just because maybe some people in some parts of the world might associate it with something bad? It’s pretty insulting of you to suggest someone should change their name, because people who have no real grasp about its meaning and context in the language it comes from (!), think it has something to do with Nazis. The word “gay” isn’t a good comparison, since it changed its association in one language, it’s English.
I don’t think many people make the association at all, especially because he pronounces it differently, which leads to your main point:
Are we just going to ignore that even when trying, everyone originally speaking a language with a not-so-German pronounciation, wouldn’t be able to pronounce the name correctly? Lots of people with German (or any other non-English) heritage totaly butcher the pronounciation of their names. Not because they’re not proud, but simply because they probably don’t know any better or simply can’t pronounce them right. It’s probably not like he decided one day to pronounce his name like that, that probably happened over the span of generations?
I knew someone who was called Zumbrunnen, when that person said their name I had absolutely no idea it was originally a German name. I only realized it weeks in when I saw it written down. And that person did not know that they prononced their name wrong! They’ve been in the US for multiple generations and the name just unconsciously adapted to the English pronounciation. That happens
Really donât think sheâs as extra or bitchy as people make her out to be haha. I think she is a hyper person and sounds similar to her character from Glee so people project that onto her. Sheâs been pretty low key with this guy and seems to have a lot of friends in the industry (just going by the comments on her Instagram). Sheâs also been best friends for years with the lovely human ray of sunshine that is Jonathan Groff haha which places her higher in my regard.
The ring is big but lacking in taste. what is exceptionally distracting, however, is her terrible boob job. Mazal tov to them both
the boob job is very distracting – especially in last picture where they look melded together
But can she read?!?
My new favorite conspiracy theory is the âlea Michele canât readâ all over the internet. So crazy and ridiculous, but so funny!
And this is what happens when the guy picks/designs the engagement ring…….
She already has someone who will love her the rest of her life. Her BFF Jonathan Groff đ
Sheâs the definition of extra-but I have a soft spot for her because of Groff. Sheâs been a loyal friend to him and he seems awesome. If heâs pals with her she has to have some redeeming quality.
I too find Lea super annoying but Ive noticed she at least isn’t superficial in choosing guys to date. Her exes for the most part haven’t been very handsome/ rich (well idk about this Zandy guy)/ famous. Didn’t she even go out with a prostitute for a while? This leads me to believe that despite the outward antics she at least isn’t a judgmental person.
I don’t think she cares what anybody looks like other than herself.
Is she wearing black napkins on her chest? Who dresses like that?
I went a costume party late last year a friends 50th it was bling themed.
I swear I bought the EXACT same ring off the net for four dollars plus postage .
Congratulations to them đ
She seems like a giant pain in the a$$.
Good for them but that ring is GAUDY AF.
Veeve: Iâve seen that design every time I search for âraw diamond ringâ online. Itâs a popular design and you can buy it from eBay sellers in zirconia or herkimer at different price ranges. (Ships from China). Not saying that this one is fake at all. Iâm sure itâs a rental until her customised ring is ready.
I didnât mean to imply it was fake, I was just saying I got one from the net that is the same design.
Everything is extra about her but I like her.
Congrats and best of luck on the engagement and the marriage.
I’m low key jaleaous of people who meet great guys and get engaged in a year or so.
#DatingWithAPurpose
That dress is unfortunate
Very unfortunate.
That dress makes her looks like a male little person wrestler.
OMG, yes!!
Hate the ring. Too many little stones thatâs halo look is so yesterday. Stick with 4 carat round, youâll be happy.
BTW looks like âZandyâ like his last name pronounced Rich instead if Reich as in Third Reich! Done in 2!
https://www.eonline.com/news/930689/5-things-to-know-about-lea-michele-s-fiance-zandy-reich
Does anyone else think her fiance looks like her BFF, Jonathan Groff? I had a Jewish friend whose last name was Reich and she pronounced it “rich” Who knows?
I have pretty wedding rings that I keep in my safe and wear my silicone wedding bands. Ha! My husband is thrilled.
I don’t know what the point of that black dress is.
I donât like her but I donât see anything wrong with her ring. Itâs an emerald cut surrounded by little diamonds. The size is a little big but itâs a beautiful ring. Calm down people