Heather Morris supports her former co-star Samantha Marie Ware's claim that Lea Michele was difficult to work with on the set of "Glee" — but she refused to call Michele a racist.
"Let me be very clear, hate is a disease in America that we are trying to cure, so I would never wish for hate to be spread on anyone else. 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," Morris tweeted Wednesday. "And yet, 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."
"But at the current moment, it’s implied that she is a racist and although I cannot comment on her beliefs, I think we’re assuming, and you know what happens when we all assume," she added.
Morris's post comes one day after Ware called out Michele on Twitter, saying she made her experience on the "Glee" set "a living hell."
Ware, who had a recurring role in "Glee’s" sixth season, shared her comment in response to a tweet Michele shared about the death of George Floyd in police custody and to speak in support of Black Lives Matter.
"George Floyd did not deserve this," Michele’s message read. "This was not an isolated incident and it must end. #BlackLivesMatter"
"LMAO REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE MY FIRST TELEVISON GIG A LIVING HELL?!?! CAUSE ILL NEVER FORGET,” Ware wrote in a caps-lock reply. "I BELIEVE YOU TOLD EVERYONE THAT IF TOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YOU WOULD ‘SH-- IN MY WIG!’ AMONGST OTHER TRAUMATIC MICROAGRESSIONS THAT MADE ME QUESTION A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD..."
Before long, more black actors who also worked alongside Michele on "Glee" began responding to Ware's post.
Dabier Snell, who guest-starred on a 2014 episode of the show, alleged, in all caps, that Michele "WOULDNT LET ME SIT AT THE TABLE WITH THE OTHER CAST MEMBERS CAUSE 'I DIDNT BELONG THERE.'"
Alex Newell and Amber Riley, who both shared many scenes with Michele over the course of the show's six seasons, responded with GIFs that fans thought spoke for themselves.
On Wednesday, Michele responded to her former co-stars' claims by apologizing for her behavior on Instagram. The actress explained that her initial tweet was meant to be a "show of support for our friends and neighbors and communities of color during this really difficult time," but the responses to it made her focus on her own behavior.
"One of the most important lessons of the last few weeks is that we need to take the time to listen and learn about other people's perspectives and any role we have played or anything we can do to help address the injustices that they face," she wrote.
Though Lea said she had no recollection of the specific actions Ware had referenced and insisted she's "never judged others by their background or the color of their skin," she acknowledged, that she "clearly acted in ways which hurt other people."
"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," she continued. "We all can grow and change and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect on my own shortcomings."
Michele, who's expecting her first child, went on to say that being pregnant has impacted her reflection.
"I know I need to keep working to better myself and take responsibility for my actions, so that I can be a real role model for my child and so I can pass along my lessons and mistakes, so that they can learn from me," she concluded. "I listened to these criticisms and I am learning and while I am very sorry, I will be better in the future from this experience."