Lea Michele & Cory Monteith Were Broken Up When He Died

Lea and Cory may have been deeply in love, but that doesn't mean they didn't have their 'ups and downs.' Sadly, the couple were going through a tough time before Cory's tragic death on July 13, a source tells HollywoodLife.com. Lea Michele, 27, and her boyfriend and Glee co-star Cory Monteith were "polar opposites" in many respects, a source tells HollywoodLife.com. And while most of the time they complemented each other as a couple, sometimes their personalities clashed -- especially when they were away from the Glee set. Read on for all the EXCLUSIVE details about Lea and Cory's complicated relationship.

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October 17, 2013 9:06PM EDT
Lea Michele and Cory Monteith Broken Up
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Lea Michele Cory Monteith: Broken Up When He Died — They WEREN’T Together

Lea and Cory’s bond was very strong, but they also had the kind of relationship that required an occasional break from each other.

“Lea and Cory were in love, nobody can argue that,” a source tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “But the relationship was hard to maintain away from the set. It was easy to be in love and happy around friends and crew, but it was completely different when their realities set in with each other.”

This temporary split probably explains why Lea was on vacation with her girlfriends in Cabo San Lucas shortly before Cory’s death. But despite their differences and their breakup, sources say Lea and Cory were confident that they would reunite when Glee resumed filming in September.

“They both knew that they would be together again once they got back to filming,” the source says. “It was never going to be a complete relationship end — they just needed time away from each other to deal with their separate lives, which were complete polar opposites.”

Lea Michele & Cory Monteith Had Their ‘Ups And Downs’

Another source close to Lea tells us that she and Cory seemed to be “totally happy and in love” before his death, but acknowledges that they had troubles just like any other couple does.

“It’s not like they were living in some perfect fairytale world,” the source tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “Couples fight and they had ups and downs like everyone does so it’s possible that they could have been fighting before he died — but that doesn’t make it any easier for her.”

Poor Lea! We’re guessing the fact that she and Cory were broken up before his death probably makes grieving for him even harder. But no matter the distance between them, we’re sure Cory knew exactly how much Lea loved him — hopefully she can take comfort in that.

What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers? Are you surprised Lea and Cory were broken up when he died? Do you think taking a break can help a relationship? Let us know.

WATCH: ‘Glee’ Ending After Cory Monteith Death 

— Tierney McAfee, Reporting by Russ Weakland

More Lea Michele & Cory Monteith News:

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  2. Lea Michele: ‘I’ve Lost Two People,’ Cory Monteith & Finn Hudson
  3. Lea Michele Sobs In ‘Glee’ Cory Monteith Tribute Promo — Watch