Amber Riley, Kevin McHale and More ‘Glee’ Stars Weigh In on Lea Michele Drama After Samantha Marie Ware Accusations

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Amber Riley, Kevin McHale and More 'Glee' Stars Weigh In on Lea Michele Drama After Samantha Marie Ware Accusations

Taking sides? The stars of Glee seemingly weighed in after their former costar Lea Michele was accused of mistreatment by Samantha Marie Ware. On Monday, June 1, Ware, 28, responded to Michele's tweet regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. “LMAO REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE MY FIRST TELEVISION GIG A LIVING HELL?!?! CAUSE ILL NEVER FORGET,” the Margot vs. Lily actress tweeted. “I BELIEVE YOU TOLD EVERYONE THAT IF TOU [sic] HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YOU WOULD ‘S--T IN MY WIG!’ AMONGST OTHER TRAUMATIC MICROAGGRESSIONS THAT MADE ME QUESTION A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD.” [ami-related id="1806225" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/glee-cast-where-are-they-now/" title="'Glee' Cast: Where Are They Now?" target="_blank" showsubt="false" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glee-Where-Are-They-Now.jpg"] Ware appeared in Glee in 2015 as Jane Hayward, alongside Michele, who played the lead role of Rachel Berry. However, her claim wasn't the only made. Following the tweet, multiple former cast members and background actors of the Ryan Murphy musical series spoke out about the 33-year-old Scream Queens star. [jwplayer W1WZOSc8] Although Yvette Nicole Brown did not appear on the Fox drama, she costarred with Michele on The Mayor and weighed in on the controversy. "I felt every one of those capital letters," the Community star, 48, tweeted. "EVERY person on a set matters. EVERY person on a set deserves respect. And it is the RESPONSIBILITY of every series regular to make EVERY person who visits their home feel welcome. This dismissive attitude is what’s wrong in Hollywood AND the world." Alex Newell, who portrayed Unique Adams on the Fox series for four seasons, was very vocal on Twitter, as was Amber Riley, who played Mercedes Jones in the through all six seasons. On Wednesday, June 3, Michele apologized via Instagram. "While I don’t remember ever making this specific statement and I have never judged others by their background or color of their skin, that’s not really the point," she wrote in the lengthy statement. "What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people.” Scroll through the gallery below to see what other stars of Glee had to say about the interaction: [podcast_block]

Credit: INStar; Shutterstock (3)

Amber Riley, Kevin McHale and More 'Glee' Stars Weigh In on Lea Michele Drama After Samantha Marie Ware Accusations

Taking sides? The stars of Glee seemingly weighed in after their former costar Lea Michele was accused of mistreatment by Samantha Marie Ware. On Monday, June 1, Ware, 28, responded to Michele's tweet regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. “LMAO REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE MY FIRST TELEVISION GIG A LIVING HELL?!?! CAUSE ILL NEVER FORGET,” the Margot vs. Lily actress tweeted. “I BELIEVE YOU TOLD EVERYONE THAT IF TOU [sic] HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YOU WOULD ‘S--T IN MY WIG!’ AMONGST OTHER TRAUMATIC MICROAGGRESSIONS THAT MADE ME QUESTION A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD.” [ami-related id="1806225" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/glee-cast-where-are-they-now/" title="'Glee' Cast: Where Are They Now?" target="_blank" showsubt="false" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glee-Where-Are-They-Now.jpg"] Ware appeared in Glee in 2015 as Jane Hayward, alongside Michele, who played the lead role of Rachel Berry. However, her claim wasn't the only made. Following the tweet, multiple former cast members and background actors of the Ryan Murphy musical series spoke out about the 33-year-old Scream Queens star. [jwplayer W1WZOSc8] Although Yvette Nicole Brown did not appear on the Fox drama, she costarred with Michele on The Mayor and weighed in on the controversy. "I felt every one of those capital letters," the Community star, 48, tweeted. "EVERY person on a set matters. EVERY person on a set deserves respect. And it is the RESPONSIBILITY of every series regular to make EVERY person who visits their home feel welcome. This dismissive attitude is what’s wrong in Hollywood AND the world." Alex Newell, who portrayed Unique Adams on the Fox series for four seasons, was very vocal on Twitter, as was Amber Riley, who played Mercedes Jones in the through all six seasons. On Wednesday, June 3, Michele apologized via Instagram. "While I don’t remember ever making this specific statement and I have never judged others by their background or color of their skin, that’s not really the point," she wrote in the lengthy statement. "What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people.” Scroll through the gallery below to see what other stars of Glee had to say about the interaction: [podcast_block]

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Matthew Morrison

The actor, who dated Michele before their Glee days, addressed the controversy during a radio interview. “I honestly think it’s a distraction of the bigger issues that are going on right now. It’s kind of like, ‘Ah,’” Morrison said on FUBAR Radio’s Access All Areas in June 2020. “You want to be a good, pleasant person to be around. That’s about all I’m going to say on that.”

Credit: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Marti Noxon

The producer, who worked on the show from September 2011 to May 2012, tweeted then deleted her response to the backlash.

“Re: @LeaMichele. Hey, I’m all for calling out bad behavior and even for some schadenfreude when that behavior is punished. That said, on GLEE there were LOTS of bad actors. Who were NOT women,” Noxon wrote in a since-deleted tweet on Wednesday, June 3. “It seems to me that women are the first to go under the bus. …  How come we let them get away with it? Maybe it’s because as long as they earn someone money, they get a pass."

She later clarified her remarks. "When I said ‘bad actors’ in reference to my work on Glee - I was using the word actor as in ‘people who took bad actions’. I wasn’t referring to anybody on set specifically,” the Buffy the Vampire Slayer producer wrote on June 4. “I was on that show for one season, and only part time. By and large the people I met there were wonderful. And the crew was fantastic. But when bullies are allowed to act that way - there is a culture that permits it. That’s all I was saying. Thanks. Stay safe.”

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Iqbal Theba

"Lot of people r assuming that @LeaMichele mistreated me. Let me state it clearly that I was never mistreated by her. And if some of the cast were treated badly then she has apologized for it which is wonderful. But being called a racist is too heavy & unfair a burden 4 most of us, specially in these troubled times," Theba, who portrayed Principal Figgins on the musical series, wrote on June 3. "So, please be compassionate, careful & responsible before we accuse anyone of this horrible thing called racism. I love each & everyone of my fellow cast members from our great show. Be safe & be well. Much love."

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Dean Geyer

“Lea is still one of my favorite costars that I have had the pleasure of working with. She is extremely hard working and super fun to be around,” Geyer, who played Michele's love interest during season 4 of the show, told the DailyMail on June 4. “Her work ethic is so strong it forces you to always be on top of your game, and that's something I looked forward to every day on set. I definitely learned a lot."

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Alex Newell

In addition to posting multiple GIFs, the Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist star, 27, sent multiple replies to fans. When one thought people may be lying about the claims, he replied, "we ain’t got not a damn thing to lie about  6 years later!" When another follower asked why Newell took a photo with Michele on Broadway, Newell wrote, "She was there I was being polite!! Like I was with anyone that came to see my show! Also I know youre not talking about the season I wasn’t in... until I had to ask to come back so I could pay my bills... since I was released mid season five... while being a series regular!"

He later added: "I’m gonna say this one time... when my friends goes through something traumatic I also go through it... that’s what friendship is... and if you can’t understand that then you’re part of the problem... and that’s on PERIODT! And I mean that for both sides of this coin!"

Credit: Courtesy Dabier Snell/Instagram

Dabier Snell

The actor, who appeared in a 2014 episode of Glee, retweeted Ware's tweet and responded. "GIRL YOU WOULDNT LET ME SIT AT THE TABLE WITH THE OTHER CAST MEMBERS CAUSE 'I DIDNT BELONG THERE' F--K YOU LEA," he wrote. "I try to bring good vibes and create content for ppl to laugh and enjoy! Seeing her message brought back bad memories of being less than on set of glee. Ain’t goin stand for her being fake like she care."

Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock

Kevin McHale

McHale, who starred as Artie Abrams from the show's debut, didn't directly comment on the controversy. When a fan tweeted about the Glee cast being troublesome and a fan said Chord Overstreet was a Trump supporter, McHale responded "false."

When another fan asked, "What is he saying false to tho?? just chord or the whole thread?" he responded, "Chord." 

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Amber Riley

Riley, who portrayed Mercedes Jones on the series, shared multiple Gifs of herself attempting to chime in and sipping tea. 

“I don’t give a s–t about this Lea Michele thing. I really don’t give a f–k,” the actress said via an Instagram Live with comedian Danielle Young on June 3. “I'm not going to say she's racist. ... I wish Lea Michele well, I hope that she has an amazing pregnancy. I hope that she is grown and that she understands. The apology she put out, I didn’t read it because I told y’all, I don’t give a s–t about it. She reached out to me, I responded to her. That’s where it ends for me. I ain’t talked to that girl in two years. I have no hatred or ill-will on that end."

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Melissa Benoist

Benoist, who joined Glee in season 4, liked Ware's original tweet, as well as Newell's responses and Riley's GIF of herself sipping tea.

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Heather Morris

The Dancing With the Stars alum, who starred on Glee for all six seasons, shared a statement regarding Michele's comments on June 3. 

"Let me be very clear, hate is a disease in America that we are trying to cure, so I would never wish for hate to be spread on anyone else. With that said, was she 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," the actress, 33, wrote at the time. "And yes, it's also on us because we all it to go on of for so long without speaking out is something else we're learning along with the rest of society."

She added: "But at the current moment, it's 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."