Lea Michele Addresses 'Glee' Bullying Claims And 'Sad' Rumor She Can't Read

The actor is attempting to clear the air ahead of her debut in Broadway's "Funny Girl."
Lea Michele attends the 2022 Tony Awards in June.
Lea Michele attends the 2022 Tony Awards in June.
ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images

Before the drizzle turns into a full-on downpour, let Lea Michele address the rain on her parade ahead of her “Funny Girl” debut.

Days before the actor steps into the long-coveted role of Fanny Brice on Broadway, Michele is reflecting on the bullying claims that surfaced in 2020 about her past behavior on the Fox series “Glee” and the internet firestorm that followed.

“I really understand the importance and value now of being a leader,” she told The New York Times in an interview published Thursday. “It means not only going and doing a good job when the camera’s rolling, but also when it’s not. And that wasn’t always the most important thing for me.”

That would be putting it rather nicely, according to her fellow “Glee” stars, who have collectively called out Michele for allegedly creating a toxic work environment behind the scenes.

The backlash first began two years ago after Michele expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement on social media. The message prompted her former Black co-workers to share their stories — including Samantha Marie Ware, who said Michele made her time on the show a “living hell” due to “traumatic microaggressions.”

Michele issued an apology at the time, saying that she’d been “unnecessarily difficult,” but the actor has since stayed silent on the controversy.

“I have an edge to me. I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes,” she told the Times this week. “That level of perfectionism, or that pressure of perfectionism, left me with a lot of blind spots.”

Michele traced her particular and at times problematic approach to work back to her days as a child actor on Broadway, which she said left her in a “semi-robotic state” due to the immense pressure.

Elsewhere in the piece, Michele spoke out for the first time about persistent internet gossip that she’s illiterate. Yes, in case you don’t have Gleek conspiracy theorists in your life, it’s an actual rumor.

“I went to ‘Glee’ every single day; I knew my lines every single day,” she told the paper, rebuking the viral conversations online. “And then there’s a rumor online that I can’t read or write? It’s sad. It really is. I think often if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn’t be the case.”

Instead, Michele is much more focused on making her return to Broadway.

The actor replaces Beanie Feldstein, who originated the role in the current production. The “Booksmart” star abruptly exited the show earlier than planned following underwhelming reviews and reported clashes with producers, who she said “decided to take the show in a different direction.”

“I feel more ready than I ever have before, both personally and professionally,” Michele told the Times. “Everyone here has been through a lot, and I just have to come in and be prepared and do a good job and be respectful of the fact that this is their space.”

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