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Glee<\/span><\/i><\/a> alum <\/span>Kevin McHale<\/b><\/a> revealed he started a rumor that his costars <\/span>Lea Michele<\/b><\/a> and <\/span>Cory Monteith<\/span><\/a> were dating before the pair confirmed their romance.<\/p>\n \u201cOur ratings had started to dip a little,\u201d Kevin, 35, recalled during on the Monday, December 18, episode of his and Jenna Ushkowitz<\/b><\/a>\u2019s <\/span>Glee<\/span><\/i> rewatch podcast, <\/span>\u201cAnd That\u2019s What You REALLY Missed.\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n As they discussed the show\u2019s season 3 Christmas episode, Kevin explained that they \u201cenjoyed two very solid years of success and really great ratings.\u201d However, the show reached a point when viewership was going down during the third season.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the first time they had started to go down in a significant way,\u201d Kevin \u2013 who portrayed Artie Abrams \u2013 said. \u201cBecause I was the one who was always checking, I was reporting back and we all knew.\u201d<\/p>\n While filming the final performance of the episode, the cast had extra time to sit around between takes. \u201cI don\u2019t know who came up with it, it might\u2019ve been a group thing,\u201d Kevin said. \u201cSo I talked to Lea<\/a>. I don\u2019t know if I talked to Cory, I think we did. And you [Jenna] were part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, \u2018I\u2019m sitting across the room. What if I pretend to take a picture of Jenna and in the background, the very edge of frame, are Cory and Lea being a little extra snuggly?\u2019\u201d the Boychoir<\/em> actor told Jenna, 37, who admitted she didn\u2019t remember the story. \u201cI said, \u2018I\u2019ll put it up and wait a little bit for people to notice, and then I\u2019ll delete it, like I did something wrong.\u2019 Because the intention was we were gonna get rumors started that Cory and Lea are dating, and people will watch the show.\u201d<\/p>\n Kevin added, \u201cWe were all very nervous. Lea was like, \u2018Yes, absolutely, let\u2019s do it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n He went through with the plan and posted the photo, while his costars all wanted updates. \u201cEveryone\u2019s like, \u2018What\u2019s going on? Have people noticed?\u2019 I\u2019m like, \u2018No, no one\u2019s noticing. No one\u2019s saying anything,\u2019\u201d Kevin said. \u201cAnd then at the first reference, one person said something \u2014 I deleted it \u2026 and then it got picked up and was all over.\u201d<\/p>\n Fans were left in shock by the photo, though Kevin revealed he was equally as surprised when Lea, 37, told him the following January that she and Cory were dating<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were at the [SAG Awards] afterparty and Lea sits me down and is like, \u2018Did you know? We had actually started dating then.\u2019 Nobody knew!\u201d Kevin said. \u201cOf course, everybody found shortly thereafter. But she\u2019s like, \u2018We started, like, dating that week again.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Jenna added that they \u201cdidn\u2019t know at that point,\u201d while the rest of the cast didn\u2019t find out about the romance for another two months.<\/p>\n Lea and Cory dated from late 2011 until his death at the age 31<\/a> in July 2013 following an accidental drug overdose. The New Year\u2019s Eve<\/em> actress has since found love with Zandy Reich<\/strong>, whom she married in 2019. The couple shares son Ever, 3.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n