“That level of perfectionism left me with a lot of blind spots.”
Actress Lea Michele has addressed past accusations of bullying ahead of her return to Broadway as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl.
In the summer of 2020, Lea faced backlash after sharing a post in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Samantha Ware, who played Jane on Glee, rejected Lea’s support and said that she faced a number of “traumatic micro aggressions” from Lea during her time on the show. Another cast member, Dabier, claimed that Lea wouldn’t let him sit at her table on set.
At the time, Lea issued a statement in which she said she doesn’t recall any of the things she is accused of saying, and that she has “never judged others by their background or colour of their skin”. She went on to say that it’s clear she “acted in ways which hurt other people”, and apologised for any pain she has caused.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Lea denied to comment on claims made by Ware, but did say that she had a lot of “blind spots”.
“I have an edge to me,” she said. “I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes. That level of perfectionism, or that pressure of perfectionism, left me with a lot of blind spots.”
Lea also touched on a viral rumour that she cannot read, and suggested that if she were a man, that rumour would not have circulated.
She said: “I went to Glee every single day. I knew my lines every single day. And then there’s a rumour online that I can’t read or write? It’s sad. It really is. I often think if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn’t be the case.”
Lea will take to the stage in Funny Girl next week, which marks her return to Broadway after playing Wendla in Spring Awakening in 2008.
