Their side of the story. Glee extras are coming forward with their own tales about Lea Michele‘s alleged misbehavior in the wake of Samantha Marie Ware‘s accusations.
An on-set source exclusively tells Us Weekly that in 2012 the Glee alum, 33, “couldn’t be bothered” to mingle with the extras and crew.
“Lea would pass by and ignore the extras. I saw other cast members mingling with extras and crew,” the insider said. “She literally acted like I didn’t exist when I said hello to her. She didn’t even acknowledge me.”
The source also recalled that Michele brought cupcakes for the cast and crew after they finished filming but “no one wanted to touch it.”
“One of the production guys asked who brought the cupcakes,” they added. “Someone said, ‘Lea did.’ The guy scoffed and walked away from it. At the end of the shoot, one of the crew members took a cupcake and gave it to me and said, ‘Take it. No one’s going to eat it.’”
Ware, 28, was the first star to speak out about her alleged experience with Michele after the “Cannonball” singer tweeted about the Black Lives Matter movement.
“LMAO REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE MY FIRST TELEVISION GIG A LIVING HELL?!?! CAUSE ILL NEVER FORGET,” the actress tweeted on June 1. “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.”
Michele’s other former costars followed suit with their own stories including Heather Morris, who labeled the New York native “unpleasant to work with.”
Imia Fleur Edwards, who worked as an extra on Glee in 2012, tells Us that Michele burped in her face while on set — a story that she first shared via Instagram on June 4 calling Michele “so bold and rude.”
“During one of the takes she walked really close to me and made this loud burp almost right in my face as she was passing by,” Edwards said. “She didn’t say ‘Excuse me’ or even acknowledge my presence. No eye contact, nothing. The other extras saw and a crew member as well. He reacted, ‘Wow, so sorry she did that.’”
However, a second source tells Us that the Scream Queens alum had a running joke of burping on set.
“Lea would jokingly engage in burping contests with the crew during downtime on set,” the insider said. “Never would she have intentionally done this directly in someone’s face.”
Michele — who is pregnant with her first child with her husband, Zandy Reich — apologized for her actions via Instagram on June 3.
“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 behavior and for any pain which I have caused,” the Spring Awakening alum wrote.
Additionally, Glee star Iqbal Theba defended Michele via social media. “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,” the actor, 56, who portrayed Principal Figgins on the musical series, tweeted 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 @OfficialGLEEtv Be safe & be well. Much love.”
Scroll down to read Glee extras’ stories of working with Michele on set.