Lea Michele has honoured Cory Monteith on the fifth anniversary of his passing

'The light remains'

The ones who love us never truly leave us - and the ones who have passed on are loved nevertheless. On the fifth anniversary of Glee actor Cory Monteith’s passing, his on- and off-screen girlfriend Lea Michele took to Twitter to honour his memory with a small yet meaningful tribute.

The Glee alum posted a photo of a sunset, accompanied by the quote, ‘There are some who bring a light so great to the world, that even after they are gone, the light remains’.

While Lea didn’t reference Cory or the anniversary explicitly, she posted it on July 13th - the same day that Cory passed away of a heroin and alcohol overdose five years prior. A coroner at the time declared it an ‘accidental’ death. Cory had previously spoken openly about his battle with addiction, saying at one point to Parade that he was ‘lucky to be alive’.

Lea and Cory both starred as main characters and romantic interests on Glee, which wrapped up a season after his passing. The show aired a special tribute episode to the actor named The Quarterback, in which the cast mourned his character Finn’s sudden and unexplained passing. On Lea Michele’s final day on set, she also posted an emotional photograph of her leaving the backlot for the last time - carrying Cory Monteith’s signature Glee jersey in a frame.

While Lea obviously loved Cory deeply, she’s since found room in her heart for another man: businessman Zandy Reich. The couple announced their engagement earlier this year in a heartwarming post on Instagram, where a crying Lea was photographed with her hand over her face - displaying a massive ring on her fourth finger.

We’re just so thrilled that Lea seems to have found peace, success and love in the wake of Cory’s passing.

Her engagement aside, she’s also been keeping busy starring on shows like Scream Queens and The Mayor - as well as touring with her former Glee co-star Darren Criss.