Lea Michele: People wouldn’t say I can’t read if I were a man
Lea Michele suggested that it’s because of her gender that people won’t stop theorizing that she can’t read or write.
“There’s a rumor online that I can’t read or write? It’s sad. It really is. I think often if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn’t be the case,” the “Glee” alum told the New York Times in a profile published Thursday.
Michele, 36, defended herself by pointing out that she showed up to “Glee” and “knew my lines every single day.”
The “Funny Girl” star recently joked about the conspiracy theory when speaking to a group of people — including high school students — in June.
“I didn’t go to college you guys, and look at me … There is a rumor online that I cannot read or write, which may have something to do with the fact I didn’t go to college,” the actress quipped in an exclusive video obtained by Page Six.
The “Spring Awakening” star initially denied the rumors in 2018.
“Loved READING this tweet and wanted to WRITE you back,” Michele wrote on Twitter at the time. “Literally laughing out loud at all this. Love you!!!”
The conspiracy theory began after podcasters Jaye Hunt and Robert Ackerman created a viral 40-minute video attempting to prove their thesis that the Broadway star was illiterate.
The lengthy video claims, in part, that because she was a child star on Broadway, she just never had time to learn. The duo also alleged that Michele primarily stars in productions created by Ryan Murphy — such as “Glee” and “Scream Queens” — because he knows about the unproven secret.
Fans have continued to spread the rumor online and it has gained more traction since she spoke to NYT — even trending on Twitter on Thursday.
“Say what you want about ‘Glee’ star Lea Michele. She can’t read it,” one user tweeted.
“Lea Michele’s failure to actually prove she can read while fighting the rumors with her life is hilarious,” another wrote, with several fans encouraging Michele to read out loud to dispel the theory.
“lea michele saying she can read makes me more convinced that she can’t,” another bluntly put it.
Michele also addressed former “Glee” stars accusing her of bullying them on set.
“I have an edge to me. I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes,” she said.
“That level of perfectionism, or that pressure of perfectionism, left me with a lot of blind spots.”
