Glee star Amber Riley has responded to Samantha Ware’s claims about Lea Michele’s behaviour on set.
Speaking to Danielle Young on Instagram Live, the 34-year-old admitted she doesn’t “give a f***” about the controversy surrounding Lea – as she wants people to focus on the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I don’t give a s***,” she said. “People are out here dying and being murdered by police.”
The actress, who is best known for playing Mercedes on the show, wished Lea well – but said she hopes she has “grown” since their days on Glee.
“I wish her well, I hope she has an amazing pregnancy, I hope that she has grown,” she said.
Amber also confessed Lea contacted her after Samantha’s claims hit headlines, and said: “She reached out to me. I responded to her, and that’s where it ends for me.”
The news comes after Amber seemed to support Samantha’s claims about Lea by tweeting a GIF of herself sipping tea.
— Amber Patrice Riley (@MsAmberPRiley) June 2, 2020
Earlier this week, Samantha accused Lea of making her life a “living hell” on the set of Glee – and the actress later apologised for her actions in a statement posted on Instagram.
After Lea shared her apology on social media, Samantha responded by sharing a link to a GoFundMe page for James Scurlock’s family – after he was shot and killed during a recent Black Lives Matter protest in Omaha.
Samantha wrote: “Perceived? Purcieved? Purse? Open your purse??????????????”
Perceived? Purcieved? Purse?
Open your purse??????????????https://t.co/pQ71xtsyxD— SAMEYAAAAAA (@Sammie_Ware) June 3, 2020
The actress, who played Jane Hayward on the sixth season of Glee, was referring to a particular passage in Lea’s apology.
Lea wrote: “Whether it was my privileged position and perspective that caused me to be perceived as insensitive or inappropriate at times or whether it was just my immaturity and me just being unnecessarily difficult, I apologize for my behaviour and for any pain which I have caused.”
The actress shared a public apology after Samantha claimed Lea bullied her on set, after she showed her support for the Black Lives Matter movement – following the tragic death of George Floyd.
View this post on Instagram
Taking to Twitter, Lea tweeted: “George Floyd did not deserve this. This was not an isolated incident and it must end.”
Samantha then re-posted Lea’s tweet and wrote: “LMAO REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE MY FIRST TELEVISON GIG A LIVING HELL?!?! CAUSE ILL NEVER FORGET.” [sic]
“I BELIEVE YOU TOLD EVERYONE THAT IF TOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YOU WOULD ‘S**T IN MY WIG!’ AMONGST OTHER TRAUMATIC MICROAGRESSIONS THAT MADE ME QUESTION A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD…,” she added.
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
Shortly after Samantha’s tweet went viral, a number of celebrities unfollowed Lea on Instagram – including Ariana Grande and Keke Palmer, who have both worked with her in the past.
Lea, who played Rachel Berry in Glee, has also lost a major brand deal with HelloFresh over the backlash.
On this week’s episode of #GossChats, Ali Ryan chats to Love Island winner and rugby star Greg O’Shea about his experience on the reality show, what REALLY happened after his split from Amber Gill, and some of the strange things women have sent him in his DMs…
#GossChats is sponsored by top Irish aesthetic clinic Haus of JeJuve.
