It’s happened to a lot of us, the pre-Valentine’s Day breakup. Well, if it’s happened to you, you can understand how Glee alum Lea Michele feels right. Lea and her now ex-boyfriend, Matthew Paetz, met on the set of Lea’s music video “On My Way” in April of 2014. After the pair began dating, reports surfaced that the 30-year-old model did some time working as a male escort. A source close to the couple told E! News that “[Lea] was also very supportive of him even when her friends were skeptical of him because of his past. Lea wanted to believe in love and wanted to believe the good in him. She didn’t think he should be punished for his past.”
The couple moved in together back in September and this past January, a very in love Lea told the Fempire podcast that her former flame, the late Cory Monteith would love Matthew too. A source told Entertainment Tonight, “Lea and Matthew were talking about getting engaged as recently as around the holidays. Everyone thought they would get engaged soon, but definitely not split.” Unfortunately, the romance fizzled and the couple broke up a few weeks ago, “all of a sudden and without warning” – so Matthew didn’t have to pony up for Valentine’s Day gifts, perhaps?
Your guess is as good as mine, because the news of the breakup came as a shock to the 29-year-old actress. A source close to Lea told E! that “She’s doing well and is focusing on friends and work. This has been very sudden and hard, but if anyone can pick herself up it’s Lea. She has a great network of friends.” Lea has been posting pictures of her recent outings with friends Becca Tobin from Glee and her Scream Queens co-star Emma Roberts to her Twitter account.
About last night.. @RobertsEmma @becbecbobec đˇâ¤ď¸ love them! pic.twitter.com/9xxa71WHLa
— Lea Michele (@msleamichele) February 21, 2016
Lea is also hitting the gym to try and move on. She’s a Soul Cycle addict and also posted a photo from a hot yoga session on her Twitter feed just yesterday. I have to give her credit – I don’t hit the gym after a breakup, I tend to get under a mound of blankets on the sofa watching bad TV, drinking wine and eating french fries.
As there are always two sides to every breakup story, Matthew’s friends told E! that “They’ve been hot and cold for some time nowâone day fighting and the next madly in love. Friends believe that Lea’s success came between the two and Matthew began to resent Lea.” The source added that Matthew “wanted to get out of town for a bit to clear his head.”
Well, that kind of stinks. Considering Lea’s friends were skeptical of Matthew’s questionable past and have called him an “opportunist who took advantage and broke up with her in a very heartless way,” Lea may have dodged a bullet with this one. Maybe just do a background check next time?
Photo credit: Getty Images, Fame Flynet, WENN.com
A man resenting his more successful female partner?? Well I never. What a douche.
Could we please stop this neocon narrative that somehow got picked up by lots of liberal women? it is simply not true. the narrative comes from the wish to keep women down.
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/08/feminism_isnt_ruining_your_love_life/
yes there are some men who dont want that but there are just as many if not more women who wont date “down”. but its not a common problem. so lets all just bury it, its a scare tactic.
I hate these terms. Neocon/liberal, what is this referring to? Is this referring to American politics? I hate them because these terms aren’t universal, their meaning varies in context, and I’m so sick of people calling something neoliberal (in terms of politics) when they don’t really know what that means. In international politics, neoliberalism essentially conforms to Republican ideology (heads explode, rockets fly).
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. I’ve been ruff on her cause I don’t particularly care for her dramatics, but to get dumped sucks, especially on Valentines Day. On the positive side, better to learn you’re not meant to be before marriage. She probably couldn’t handle a divorce being the sensitive girl she is. Be gleeful Leah, your day will come.
Um….if he was an opportunities, wouldn’t he tried to have locked it down by marrying her? Perhaps the real story is that Lea is so insufferable, even a gold digging opportunist can’t stand her.
^ yup an opportunist that leaves his only meal ticket.
Don’t forget it was a hot and cold (always fighting) relationship, and that she didn’t see a breakup coming, it was out of the blue because they were so solid?
Her PR need to pick one line and stick with it.
Maybe he realized he caught her on a downswing of her career, and that she wasn’t doing anything for him? At the height of Glee maybe, but not now.
That was my thought, too, that she didn’t help him as much as he anticipated so he’s looking to hopefully trade up. Yuck.
Thank you. If he were all about opportunity, he would have given her a dozen roses on V-Day and got down on one knee. Instead he dumped her – like a hot potatoe, and somehow that equates to being an opportunist.
I have to question this woman’s taste. I mean really? A former escort? You know what this is about? He is probably better looking than those photos. Leah thinks she is such a big deal, she liked the challenge of trying to get the hot guy who used to escort to settle down with her, you know because she’s soooooo hot. pffft!
That sucks! I never heard those weird male escort rumors before. dodgy.
Anyway, she’ll get over this. She’s strong.
That actually happened to her character on Glee, so I wonder if that’s where it came from? Her character went to a Fine Arts college, met super cute boy named Brody, finds out he’s an escort at the same time she thinks she may be pregnant. I only remember that plotline because I really liked his character and was pissed they made him into a douche.
I know! I loved Brody too, he was seriously hot and that was a WTF moment for me when they made him into a male escort. thank you for reminding me, and it really sucks when life imitates art. poor Lea.
Maybe he got tired of holding her hand at every minute.
The dude is not my type, I don’t see the appeal anyway.
But I do believe what the quote says: if anyone can pick themselves up it’s Leah. I’m not much of a fan, frankly she annoys me, but there’s no denying that she’s a strong person.
How is that Becca Tobin person not Brie Larson???
Breaking up with someone before valentine’s is NOT the most heartless way lol. How dramatic.
Actually on vday would be worse than before. On your birthday? On your deathbed? His mother dumps you for him? By post-it anyone?
If you’re not feeling it why should you force another romantic holiday, esp. if an engagement is being discussed and one person wants out.
When you’re 8 months pregnant?
I hear you but some people seem to think Valentine’s Day is a crazy huge deal. I’ve always thought it was more of a Hallmark holiday but whatever.
Oh, but it sucks. Happened to me in college, also out of the blue. Just heartbreaking. Took me awhile to get over it (my first big love), but you do. Still sucks, though.
You find out he’s cheating the week of your 10 year anniversary/thanksgiving/3 days before your 20 page thesis proposal is due? Just throwing it out there for a friend lol
Yeah, she can do better for sure, He’s shady and not even hot. It’s a shame Jonathan Groff is gay, their friendship is adorable and St.Berry was my favorite couple involving Lea on Glee. But I always thought she had great chemistry with Darren Criss (who played Blaine on Glee) too – and he’s straight in real life đ
If it’s not going right, why spend Valentine’s Day together? How empty. More breakups occur during the Christmas holidays because such a heartwarming time makes you realize how alone you feel in the relationship and brings it to a head. I suspect heading into Valentine’s Day might have brought about a similar feeling in him. He didn’t want to go through the motions of pretending something he wasn’t feeling.
Those boots she’s wearing in the header pic are to die for. Serious boot envy right now…
She’s young, and just because she’s famous doesn’t mean she has discernment when it comes to picking men. Her high profile romances have been, bluntly put, with an addict and an escort. With her reputation as a diva, it’s very possible that she felt, on some level, the guys would rise up past their addictions and their unsavory prior employment because they were basking in her favor. Many women have picked someone unworthy of them. I hope she makes better choices in her future.
You hit the nail on the head. The first thing that popped in my head when I read “….rise up….because they’re basking in her favor” was Sandra Bullock and Jesse James. The modern version would be JLo and Frankenboy. I think these women are actually insecure and need the control in a relationship that comes from being the successful one of the two and thinking that the man must feel lucky to be with them and will be at their beck and call. It doesn’t work that way. Unsavory people are what they are. They don’t change because they find somebody so much better than everyone else they’ve been with. They might pretend for a while, but their ugly always rears its head eventually.
@Donna and @JenniferJustice – So…Corey Monteith and Matthew Paetz were not worthy of Lea Michele because one was an addict and the other (maybe) a former sex worker? It must be lonely up on that pedestal, but at least you have each other.
With Corey Monteith, Lea was definitely more talented than him but only slightly more successful. He was a lead on the same show. She wasn’t “better” than him because he had a disease. I feel that fortunately as society we’ve become more educated about what addiction is and the stigma has been greatly reduced, but it’s disheartening to see comments like these.
Sex workers are people. They are not “unsavory” or “unworthy.” Maybe Paetz IS a gold digger and an opportunist, but IMO other than random anonymous quotes there’s nothing to base that on whatsoever. Especially considering he broke up with her rather than ride the relationship out.
So did someone offer him more money per day or what? lol
I LOVE your name.
SVH 4 EVA.
I do not really like Lea Michele like at all but this is horrible. This is why i do not date.
I’m not sure how dating a former escort is ever a good idea. People can change, but in Hollywood…
A lot of Hollywood famous have been rumoured to be escorts. Sometimes that’s how they can pay the bills and try to get their big break.
I’m not judging, you can do what you want as long as your not hurting others or yourself.
A friend of mine worked as an escort, sex wasn’t part of the deal but if she felt comfortable and wanted to she’d go ahead. That’s how she got herself through college. She’s not ashamed of it and for her it has enriched her with good life lessons and experiences. You’d be surprised how many rich men are too busy for a full relationship or quite lonely. To each to their own.
Either way breakups suck but if he was that insecure then yes she did dodge a bullet. I just broke up with someone that was having issues with my need to focus on getting into grad school again for a few weeks (not forever mind you just through application season). And I realized if he couldn’t take me applying then he definitely couldn’t handle when I actually WAS in school. It sucks but it happens
I actually feel bad for the dude after reading some of these comments. Maybe the relationship really just fizzled and there was no point in staying together anymore? People are allowed to tire of each other and move on. This doesn’t make him heartless or she insufferable. Sometimes things just happen. No reason to shoot him down and call him names and mock his past.
Lea’s relationship with Cory = showmance. A showmance is fictional relationship between two actors on a tv series, movie, etc. This info has been out there for a long time.
Perhaps the next one will be real.
blah blah blah. As Showmance it made no sense. Neither of them needed a fake relationship and the show at the time had solid ratings for FOX. Even their on screen relationship was solid so no need to placate the fangirls off screen.
on an actually a Showmance is not a fake relationship just one that developed due to being in a show together so int that sense it was a showmance but not a fake PR romance. .
Corey, I prefer your way of dealing with a breakup. The couch, a blankie, movies, wine and fries, or in my case, potato chips…bags and bags of them.
Does anyone listen to the Guys We F^cked Podcast? They had a wicked Valentine’s day episode…. maybe Lea should write in next year.
I’m confused – why is she considered a strong person? I really don’t know, so I’m not being snarky. I thought it came out after her ex-boyfriend OD’d that they hadn’t been together for quite awhile, and their relationship was rumored as fake all along to drum up interest/publicity in their show.
Also, the guy who dumped her has Spock eyebrows, especially in those profile shots.
There relationship was not fake that all came about from fanglris who wanted them to be dating other people. Not one real piece of evicnet to prove they were fake. The show was in it 3rd season and had solid ratings so no reason for a fake PR relationship. Neither one had rumors about them so no reason to fake anything.
But either way he was still was someone she was very close to and she had/has to deal with a lot of crap but picked herself up and is deals with it. Even just the stupid rumors would sideline some people.
So yeah she has been strong.