Lea Michele addresses viral controversies

Before her highly-anticipated return to Broadway, Lea Michele addressed accusations of bullying and illiteracy.

Transcript

00:00Leah Michelle has finally spoken out about those internet rumors that she can't read and address

00:04claims that she creates a toxic work environment. Ahead of her debut as Fanny Bryce in Broadway's

00:09revival of Funny Girl, the Glee actress addressed some of the most viral topics surrounding her.

00:12In recent years, several social media posts have pushed a conspiracy theory that Michelle

00:16never learned to read. When asked about it, she said the baseless joke was made because of her

00:20gender. Quote, I went to Glee every single day. I knew my lines every single day, she told the New

00:24York Times. And then there's a rumor online that I can't read or write. It's sad. It really is.

00:29I think often if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn't be the case. The announcement that

00:32Michelle would be taking over the role of Fanny Bryce also reignited discussions about her working

00:36style. Many theater fans were reminded of the comments made by Michelle's Glee co-star,

00:40Samantha Marie Ware, who claims she fostered a toxic environment on set and used, quote,

00:44traumatic microaggressions. While Michelle didn't address Ware's claims specifically,

00:48she said that her work ethic and, quote, pressure of perfectionism left her with a lot of blind spots.