Another one of Lea Michele's "Glee" co-stars has spoken out about how the actress, who played Rachel Berry on the hit FOX show, treated her colleagues.
Old wounds were opened on May 29 after Lea tweeted of the black man killed by white Minneapolis police officers in May, "George Floyd did not deserve this. This was not an isolated incident and it must end. #BlackLivesMatter," to which actress Samantha Marie Ware — who appeared on 11 episodes of "Glee" during season 6 — replied, "LMAO REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE MY FIRST TELEVISON GIG A LIVING HELL?!?! CAUSE ILL NEVER FORGET. I BELIEVE YOU TOLD EVERYONE THAT IF TOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YOU WOULD 'S— IN MY WIG!' AMONGST OTHER TRAUMATIC MICROAGRESSIONS THAT MADE ME QUESTION A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD…"
The drama continued to make headlines as other actors and actresses weighed in too, likewise criticizing Lea's treatment of the people with whom she's shared a set. On June 3, Lea issued an apology — and it backfired. Fans and celebrities tore it apart for being insincere as she focused on how her behavior was "perceived" by others.
Later that day, the story was given fresh life after the most senior star on "Glee" yet — Heather Morris, who played cheerleader Brittany S. Pierce — took to social media to add her take on working with Lea.
"Let me be very clear, Hate is a disease in America that we are trying to cure, so I would never wish for that hate to be spread to anyone else," Heather wrote. "With that said, was [Lea] unpleasant to work with? Very much so; for Lea to treat others with the disrespect that she did for as long as she did, I believe she SHOULD be called out."
Heather continued, "And yet, it's also on us because to allow it to go on for so long without speaking out is something else we're learning along with the rest of society. But, at the current moment its implied that she is a racist and although I cannot comment on her beliefs, I think we're assuming, and you know what happens when we all assume…"
The next day, Australian actor Dean Geyer — who played Brody Weston, a boyfriend of Lea's character, for 14 episodes during season 4 — was the first co-star to publicly defend the actress. He told Daily Mail Australia, "Lea is still one of my favorite co-stars that I have had the pleasure of working with. She is extremely hard working and super fun to be around." He went on to praise her work ethic, calling it "so strong it forces you to always be on top of your game, and that's something I looked forward to everyday on set. I definitely learned a lot."
Dean added, "When jumping onto a hugely successful and established show like 'Glee,' I went into it expecting to be known as the 'new guy' for at least a month, but that wasn't the case at all. I almost immediately felt welcomed, and to be totally honest, out of everyone, Lea was the most friendly to me." He continued, "I can only speak for myself and my own experience, but from what I saw during my time on set, there was nothing but professionalism and a genuine sense of community amongst the cast and crew. No one showed any signs of discomfort while Lea was on set. If I'm basing my opinion off my season, there definitely shouldn't be a reason for a backlash."