Lea Michele dating Zandy Reich - report

Actress Lea Michele has reportedly found love with a longtime friend.

The former Glee star is said to have started dating AYR clothing president Zandy Reich after realizing their relationship was starting to heat up.

"They've been friends for a long time, a few years," a source tells People.com. "Things turned romantic recently and they're dating now."

Lea has yet to comment on the reports, but she was spotted holding hands with her new man during a lunch date in New York City on Tuesday (18Jul17).

According to the outlet, Reich is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and previously headed up business development for fashion label Theory.

The news emerges days after Lea paid a sweet tribute to her late Glee co-star and real-life boyfriend Cory Monteith on the fourth anniversary of his death. The 31-year-old died from an alcohol and drug overdose in a Vancouver, Canada hotel room on 13 July, 2013.

"Hard to believe it's been 4 years...," Lea mourned on Twitter last week (13Jul17). "We miss you C... love you more."

Her message was accompanied by a picture of the stars taken when they were dating.

Lea took a break from her love life following the tragic loss, and in 2015, she explained she needed time to heal before allowing herself to find happiness again.

"I wanted to make sure that I was OK with me, feeling strong and feeling happy on my own," she told Flare magazine. "I didn't want anybody to fill any holes for me... I wanted to make sure that I was a whole person again and that no one was coming into my life to put me back together.

"I needed to do that on my own. I worked very, very, very hard and I got back to that place where I was genuinely happy and strong and ready to live again and see the world and, you know, bring in more beautiful experiences..."