As BroadwayWorld reported yesterday, Lea Michele is under fire by various people who have worked with her on stage and screen over the years. The controversy was sparked by Samantha Ware, who spoke out about the way she was treated by Michele on the set of Glee.
The latest person to comment is Amber Riley, who starred alongside Michele on Glee for multiple years.
Riley was asked about the controversy during an Instagram Live interview, to which she responded, "I don't give a s---. People are out here dying, being murdered by police."
Toward the end of the interview, Riley said that she is not "going to say that Lea Michele is racist." She went on to say that Glee was "not the most comfortable environment" to work in and she was glad Ware spoke out.
Watch Riley's interview below.
Talking protests, #blacklivesmatter, racism & more with @msamberpriley. Take note: this is the first and last time Amber will address the Lea Michelle headlines. #exclusive #RealQuick #AmberPRiley
A post shared by Danielle Young (@thedanielleyoung) on Jun 3, 2020 at 8:05pm PDT
The controversy began when Michele tweeted in response to the George Floyd murder with the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, to which Ware, who worked with Michele on Glee in 2015, responded.
Ware wrote, "LMAO remember when you made my first television gig a living hell?!?! Cause ill never forget. I believe you told everyone that if you had the opportunity you would "shit in my wig!" amongst other traumatic microagressions that made me question a career in Hollywood..."
With Ware's tweet came responses from some of Michele's other GLEE co-stars, including Amber Riley and Broadway veteran Alex Newell, as well as HelloFresh, who discontinued their partnership with Michele.
Lea has now issued an apology in response. "I apologize for my behavior and for any pain which I have caused," says Michele. "We can all grow and change and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect on my own shortcomings."
Read our original story here.
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