Before her Broadway debut as Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl,” Lea Michele sat down with The New York Times and addressed allegations of bullying made over the years by her former “Glee” cast members. In 2020, Samantha Marie Ware came out and claimed that Michele had made “traumatic microaggressions” at her on the Fox musical comedy set. Ware said that Michele bullied her and threatened to have her fired. Heather Morris, a “Glee” star, defended Ware, tweeting that Michele “should be called out” for “the disrespect” she showed others for “as long as she did.”
According to Michele, the accusations of bullying against her led to an “intensive moment of reflection” regarding her actions at work. The performer established a connection between her predetermined conduct and her early years as a Broadway kid star, when perfectionism was instilled in her.
“I have an edge to me. I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes,” Michele said. “That level of perfectionism, or that pressure of perfectionism, left me with a lot of blind spots.”
“I really understand the importance and value now of being a leader,” she said. “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.”
Ware’s allegations were not further discussed by Michele, who added that she did not “feel the need to handle things” through the media. The persistent social media misconception that Michele is illiterate was one media topic, nevertheless, that she did address.
“I went to ‘Glee’ every single day; I knew my lines every single day,” Michele said. “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.”
