Heather Morris is opening up about the “elephant in the room” on the set of Glee.
Last year, Lea Michele faced major backlash after several of her co-stars called out her alleged behavior on set – including Samantha Ware, who accused the 34-year-old actress of making her life “a living hell” during her time on the show.
Lea has since apologized in a statement on social media, which read in part, “What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people… I apologize for my behavior and for any pain which I have caused. We all can grow and change and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect on my own shortcomings.”
In a recent appearance on Danny Pellegrino’s Everything Iconic podcast, Heather was asked about her tweet at the time, where she wrote, “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.” She also added that “it’s also on us because to allow it to go on for so long without speaking out is something else we’re learning along with the rest of society.”
“I remember getting so much shade because people were like, ‘This is so f—ing cryptic,’ like, ‘Why don’t you just go and say it?’ I’m like, ‘Guys, she’s pregnant, and all this stuff is going around, and it’s true,'” she explained. “And I don’t know if maybe we were victims of bullying and that’s a typical victim thing to do, is to blame yourself. But it also is very true, and the only person who was honest about it was Naya [Rivera]. And it was something that was very hush-hush on set.”
“Now you see all these things coming out with these bigger names who were very disrespectful, mistreated a lot of people and people allowed it to happen,” she continued. “It’s like, we absolutely could have stepped up and gone to the Fox execs and said how we felt about the situation, and nobody really did.”
Comparing their time on the show versus the present “culture where it’s acceptable” to speak out, “I think many people were very scared.” Heather reflected. “I know, genuinely, I didn’t feel like it was my place. And I don’t know why, because I was a cast member just like everybody else, and we all deserve to feel comfortable on a set.”
“I think it was the elephant in the room, you know like, we all got close with Lea at certain points, and then we all weren’t as close with her,” she continued. “And so there’s that human element to it to understanding who this person is, growing with that person, seeing her try to become better. And, you know, taking care of herself after Corey [Monteith] passed. You know, it was just the elephant in the room.”
While Heather hasn’t heard from Lea directly, she says she “always [wishes] her the best of luck and I know she has that little one at home, just taking care of her.”
Lea’s reps are yet to respond to requests for comments.
Lea and husband Zandy Reich welcomed their son Ever last August. This week, she shared photos of her son meeting her friends for the first time – “Uncle Jonathan” Groff and Darren Criss. She also opened up about her experience as a new mom amid the pandemic.
“Being a new mom in quarantine can be incredibly isolating at times. It was so hard not being able to see friends and family for so long,” she wrote on Instagram. “My heart is so full right now to see the faces of those I love in person. And seeing my dearest friends hold my son for the first time.”
