Lea Michele Pays Tribute to Late Cory Monteith 8 Years After Glee Costar's Death

Christopher Polk/Getty Images Lea Michele and Cory Monteith

Lea Michele commemorated late boyfriend and Glee costar Cory Monteith eight years after his death this week.

Monteith was 31 when he died of a heroin overdose on July 13, 2013. On Tuesday, Michele honored him by sharing a black-and-white photo of Monteith on her Instagram Story, per E! News, showing him waving to a crowd from onstage, wearing a varsity jacket while in character as Finn Hudson from Glee.

Michele (who is now married to Zandy Reich and mother to son Ever Leo, 10 months) met Monteith on the series' set in 2009 and went public with their romance in 2012. Michele also commemorated him when she got a Finn tattoo in 2019.

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Earlier this month marked the 1-year anniversary of Glee actress Naya Rivera's death. Rivera, who played Santana Lopez, a cheerleader and star glee club member, died July 8, 2020, at age 33 as a result of a drowning accident after she and her son Josey, now 5½, rented a boat at Lake Piru in Southern California.

Rivera's body was recovered from the lake on the seventh anniversary of Monteith's death last year. At the time, his mom Ann McGregor shared a slideshow of photos of Rivera and Monteith, alongside a touching caption, to the Cory's Law Instagram account, a page she set up in 2015 to continue "Cory's legacy of helping others."

"For the last seven years, the 13th of July has shattered our hearts beyond repair," McGregor began, referring to her son's death. "There aren't enough words to describe the pain we are feeling, we are truly heartbroken at the loss of @NayaRivera."

"Naya, Cory loved you so so much. He cherished your friendship more than you will ever know. From the laughs you shared, to the strength you gave him when he needed it most. Cory truly adored you," she said.

RELATED VIDEO: Glee Cast Remembers Naya Rivera with Tribute at GLAAD Awards: 'Her Best Role Was Her Being a Mom'

McGregor shared that her late son was in "awe" of Rivera's "incredible talent and the way you gave everything you had to each performance; the slap in the auditorium was one of his favourite stories to share."

"You once said Cory was like a member of your family; you will always be a part of ours. We'll carry you in our hearts forever. We miss you. Friends reunited for eternity," McGregor continued.

On the tribute account Tuesday, a caption in honor of Monteith read in part, "8 is linked to infinity ♾ Our love for you is infinite. We miss you to infinity and beyond. Words just aren't enough today. We carry you in our hearts. Always."