Lea Michele: From Bully to Bullied.
Rachel Berry is no saint—as a self-centered, star-motivated, cocky high schooler, she is a walking example of someone whose “shit doesn’t stink.” If you aren’t in the “Gleek” community, Berry is one of the main characters from the show “Glee,” that aired from 2009 to 2015.
Aside from obvious tragedies associated with the cast: Naya Rivera, Cory Monteith and Mark Salling, “Glee” had an incredibly diverse cast that highlighted those who aren’t normally highlighted in popular shows: the nerdy/theater kid crowd.
Lea Michele: The Bully
Berry, played by Lea Michele, is one among the larger-than-life personalities portrayed on the show. While Berry is a character, many people believe Michele wasn’t really acting. Tabloids have covered the controversy surrounding Michele, as many co-workers said she was a nightmare to deal with.
Co-star Samantha Marie Ware took to Twitter in 2020 to call Michele out on her disrespectful work ethic and racist allegations. She tweeted, “Remember when you made my first television gig a living hell?!?! Cause I’ll never forget. 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.”
After Ware, others followed suit in their disdain for Michele’s behavior and treatment of fellow cast members.
Since then, Michele came out with numerous apologies, stating on her Instagram in 2021, “We all can grow and change, and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect on my own shortcomings."
Redemption
Following a wave of criticism, this year, Broadway’s “Funny Girl” announced Michele would be playing Fanny Brice. Again, if you’re not a self-proclaimed “Gleek,” the announcement was a huge homage to “Glee,” and Rachel Berry. During the show, it is Berry’s dream to star in “Funny Girl” someday.
So rightfully so, “Glee” fans around the globe felt as though this was a full circle moment for the show and Michele. Michele, who was engaged to Monteith (who played Finn Hudson) experienced an Earth-shattering heartbreak when he died in 2013 due to a drug overdose. No doubt, he is looking over her while she finally lives out Berry’s Broadway dream.
She began her performance as Brice on Sept. 6., and its unknown how long her stint will last. In her opening night, fans filmed her singing songs she once sang as Berry, and she received glowing reviews about her stunning performance. Shortly after her opening night, Michele caught COVID-19, forcing her to sit out for two weeks and hand the role back to previous Brice, Julie Benko, until she can return. Before Benko, the show experienced directional changes while starring Beanie Feldstein, leading Feldstein to leave a month early in July 2022.
Lea Michele: The Bullied
Amidst her “rebrand” into theater, Michele is still not exempt from online criticism. However this time, it’s a different—weird—criticism. The internet strongly believes Michele cannot read.
Unsure when the rumors began, but there are threads online that claim Michele is illiterate. People say she has an assistant that reads, replies, and controls her social media; furthermore, people have said directors on “Glee” and Michele’s other theatrical endeavors fed lines to her phonetically. While being a wildly famous singer and actress kind of debunks being illiterate itself, it’s definitely an oddly insulting way to bash a celebrity.
Michele graduated high school with a 3.67 GPA (all while being a working actress) and was allegedly accepted to New York University. Take that information for what you will.
In a recent TikTok, Michele addressed the rumors in a looser way; the video shows Michele using a Kardashian audio insinuating she needs her best friend and “Glee’ co-star, Jonathon Groff, to come help her read her comments. Say what you want about Michele’s ability to read... the video is hilarious.
Bullying and being bullied are two ends of the “bully spectrum” that one should never find themselves on. While Michele has a rocky past and people question her ability to read a book, one thing stands true, famously said by the one and only, “Glee’s” Kurt Hummel: “She may be difficult, but boy can she sing.”
