Summer’s heating up—and so is Lea Michele‘s romance with Matthew Paetz! The Glee star was photographed out and about with Paetz on Friday, June 27, for the first time since news of their budding relationship broke a few weeks earlier.
The “If You Say So” singer, 27, looked ready for summer in a printed, sleeveless frock and flip-flops, while Paetz, a lifestyle coach, rocked brown pants and a denim jacket. They beamed happily at each other as they walked through what appeared to be a local park.
Michele and her new man were also photographed on a hike together in Burbank. She wore a neon tank top and black capri leggings, while he sported black shorts and a white tank.
The duo first made headlines in early June but have kept a low profile ever since. As previously reported, they met on the set of Michele’s music video for “On My Way,” shortly after the Brunette Ambition author attended April’s Coachella Music Festival in Indio, Calif. Paetz, a lifestyle coach and sometime model, appeared in the video as one of Michele’s friends.
“It’s still very new, but they are enjoying each other’s company,” a source close to the actress tells Us Weekly. “Lea’s not stupid, so she’s not jumping into anything. So far, it’s an honest and happy relationship. Whatever his past may be, their current relationship is based on honesty.”
Paetz is the first guy Michele has publicly dated since the death of her boyfriend and Glee costar Cory Monteith in July 2013. She said after his passing that she wasn’t looking to be with anyone new for a while, but that she’d think about it when she was ready. “People have to understand that I can’t be alone forever,” she told Glamour. “Cory wouldn’t want that.”
Her romance with Paetz is just starting out, of course, but for the moment, at least, it appears to be a comfortable fit. “They are both supportive of each other and what each other has been through in the past,” the Michele source tells Us. “They make a good team. Lea’s friends say he’s a great guy and dotes on her. Lea’s found some happiness again.”
