The star of 'Glee' and 'What/If' has spoken out about that virtual tweet she sent her former co-star.
Following the death of George Floyd, social media lit up with #BlackLivesMatter. The powerful movement highlighted the fact that minorities have always been sidelined in our society, and the deaths of many black lives throughout the world have been ignored for far too long. In support of the movement, 'Glee' actress Lea Michele tweeted that George Floyd "did not deserve this". However, her former co-star Samantha Ware responded to the tweet, saying the actress made her time on set of the musical show "a living hell".
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 “SHIT IN MY WIG!” AMONGST OTHER TRAUMATIC MICROAGRESSIONS THAT MADE ME QUESTION A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD... https://t.co/RkcaMBmtDA
— SAMEYAAAAAA (@Sammie_Ware) June 2, 2020
Michele then posted a lengthy apology on her Instagram, saying "I apologize for my behaviour and for any pain which I have caused."
Amber Riley, who also starred in the series, gave her two cents on the matter, agreeing with Ware's views that Michele made the 'Glee' set an uncomfortable environment. In the end however, she said "I don't give a sh*t. People are out here dying".
Speaking exclusively to Variety, Samantha Ware has spoken out about why she brought up the Lea Michele drama now. She told the publication she felt uncomfortable "from day one".
She continued: "When I attempted to introduce myself. There was nothing gradual about it. As soon as she decided that she didn’t like me, it was very evident. It was after I did my first performance, that’s when it started – the silent treatment, the stare-downs, the looks, the comments under her breath, the weird passive-aggressiveness. It all built up."
According to Ware, Michele threatened her job in front of a large crowd including her castmates on another separate occasion, and she didn't file a complaint as she didn't know it was an option.
In another separate account, Ware said that Michele treated her like a child when she believed her to be undermining her during a musical performance.
She also said: "When I tried to speak up for myself, she told me to shut my mouth. She said I don’t deserve to have that job," Ware says. "She talked about how she has reign."
Explaining her tweet, in which she says Michele threatened to "sh*t in her wig", Ware told Variety: "She had an issue because I had laughed [when watching a scene] and that’s when the 'I’m going to sh*t in your wig' comment happened.
"Some chuckled and some gasped. It was mortifying. The whole point was for her to embarrass me. People heard her, but no one was going to stand up to her. Black women historically are known for their wigs.
"Lea’s actions were nothing new, so I guess since it was such a common thing, my case didn’t seem like that big of a deal," Ware says. "I remember the first day I actually spoke up and unfortunately no one did anything. They just shrugged it off, like 'that’s her'. No one was stopping these things, which is an issue because the environment was helping perpetuate this abuse."
You can read the full interview with Samantha Ware here.