Actress Lea Michele. Image by Getty Images

By Irene Katz Connelly June 3, 2020

Lea Michele apologized publicly after a former “Glee” co-star, Samantha Ware, accused her of racist behavior on set.

Trouble began when Michele condemned police violence after George Floyd’s death. “This is not an isolated incident and it must end,” she tweeted on Friday, expressing support for the Black Lives Matter Movement.

On Monday Ware, who filmed 11 “Glee” episodes with Michele, clapped back, calling her a hypocrite and saying that she had made her time on the show a “living hell.”

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“I believe you told everyone that if you had the opportunity you would s*** in my wig! Amongst other traumatic microaggressions that made me question a career in Hollywood,” Ware wrote.

Several of Michele’s African American co-stars commented in support of Ware and recalled similar experiences. “I felt every one of those capital letters,” tweeted Yvette Nicole Brown, who worked with the Glee star on The Mayor. Actor Dabier, who guest-starred on “Glee,” said that Michele didn’t let him sit next to other cast members because he didn’t “belong there.”

“Glee” alum Amber Patrice Riley seemed to back them up with a knowing GIF.

In the wake of Floyd’s killing, public figures have been called out for virtue signaling without actually using their platforms to advance racial justice. Fans criticized several affluent figures, including Seth Rogen and Beanie Feldstein, for publicizing relatively paltry donations to bail funds on social media (both Rogen and Feldstein later said that they’d given more privately).

But Michele may be the first to face the backlash where, for celebrities, it really hurts — in brand partnerships. Meal delivery company Hello Fresh dropped Michele as a sponsor after the incident, saying in a statement that the company “does not condone racism or discrimination of any kind.”

On Tuesday, Michele posted a lengthy semi-apology on Instagram. While she said that she did not remember making comments about Ware’s wig and insisted she had “never judged others by their background or color of their skin,” she said the past few weeks have showed her she needs to “take the time to listen and learn about other people’s perspectives.”

Michele, who is pregnant, added that she needs to “take responsibility for my actions so I can be a real role model for my child.”

Irene Katz Connelly is an editorial fellow at the Forward. You can contact her at connelly@forward.com.

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