Samantha Ware is not expecting Lea Michele‘s apology after the Glee star reached out to her and other stars who called her out for racist microaggressions on set.
The controversy ignited when Michele voiced support for Black Lives Matter, and critics called her out for hypocrisy.
Michele said the accusations made her “focus specifically on how my own behavior towards fellow cast members was perceived by them …,” and Ware shot back: “Perceived? Purcieved? Purse? Open your purse??????????????,” linking to GoFundMe raising money for James Scurlock, who was shot and killed while protesting the murder of George Floyd.
Amber Riley, meanwhile, is ready to move on and focus on Black Lives Matter, she shared on social media. “People are out here dying and being murdered by police …” she said in a video posted to Twitter, which since has been removed.
Her Spring Awakening costar Gerard Canonico also spoke out against her. “You were nothing but a nightmare to me and fellow understudy cast members. You made us feel like we didn’t belong there,” Canonico wrote in a comment on Instagram, adding that the first time he commented on her apology, his remarks were deleted.
“I tried for years to be nice to you to no avail. Maybe actually apologize instead of placing the blame on how others ‘perceive’ you. You’ll probably just delete this though,” he added.
Heather Morris, another Glee co-star who happens to be white, also shared her experience working with Michele.
“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,” she wrote. “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.”
Michele, in addition to being widely dragged on social media, lost a sponsorship deal with Hello Fresh.