‘Glee’ Star Lea Michele’s ‘Racist’ Past Resurfaces as Fans Link Her to Keke Palmer’s Allegations a ‘Scream Queens’ Co-Star Made Racist Remark On Set
Actress Keke Palmer has made an impact in Hollywood over the years. In addition to her being an actor who has resonated with audiences on both the big and small screen, she has made history by becoming the youngest person to become a talk show host, her role as the first Black Cinderella on Broadway, the first Black woman to host the VMAs and most recently the first chief brand officer for Crème of Nature.
Now, she is adding author to her résumé with her new book, “Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative,” published by Flatiron Books.
In her new memoir, the Illinois native opens up about many things in her life, including one experience on a television show set that she has kept close to her chest.
In the book, Palmer recounted a disturbing moment on “Scream Queens” when a white co-star — whom she refers to as “Brenda” — made what Palmer saw as a loaded remark toward her.
“Scream Queens,” which ran for two seasons between 2015 and 2016, starred Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele, and Palmer.
According to Palmer, there was a disagreement on set, and the Emmy winner tried to calm things down. When she turned to “Brenda,” who was really upset, and asked if they all could “have fun and respect each other,” this ticked her co-star off.
“Keke, literally, just don’t. Who do you think you are? Martin F— Luther King?” Palmer recalls “Brenda” snapping at her.
“It was such a weighted thing that she said, but I didn’t allow that weight to be projected on me because I know who I am,” Palmer says in her memoir. “I’m not no victim. That’s not my storyline, sweetie. I don’t care what her ass said. If I allow what she said to cripple me, then she would.”
Palmer declined to name the true identity of “Brenda” as a way to take the power out of her words. However, fans online began to investigate and believe they have pinpointed the unnamed actress.
Internet detectives suspect that the mysterious co-star is none other than former “Glee” star, Lea Michele.
“It was Lea Michele,” one person tweeted after discovering that Keke Palmer doesn’t follow Lea Michele on Instagram despite following her other co-stars, Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin, and Billie Lourd.
It was Lea Michele https://t.co/ws89belMZN pic.twitter.com/i9ZtM0gXoG
— ✿ well ✿ (@dojasbin) November 11, 2024
“That explains why Keke and her didn’t share any screen time in season 2,” another person added.
Other super sleuths shared that they would not be surprised if Lea Michele was the culprit, pointing out her sketchy past with Black co-stars on set.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it really was her. Just read what her Glee co-stars said,” one fan wrote.
“OMG I know Why Amber Riley was so right Lea was the bad acting,” said another.
“We been knew & this isn’t the 1st time she did this to a Black woman under RM (Ryan Murphy) project,” said a third person.
Lea Michele has faced multiple accusations of racism from former co-stars in the past.
In June 2020, after Lea Michele sent a tweet in support of Black Lives Matter following the death of George Floyd, her Season 6 co-star, Samantha Ware, fired off a scathing tweet.
“Lmao remember when you made my first television gig a living hell,” replied Ware. “Cause I’ll never forget. I believe you told everyone that if you had the opportunity you would ‘sh-t in my wig!’ Amongst other traumatic microaggressions that made me question a career in Hollywood.”
Ware’s Twitter thread quickly caught the eyes of other Black actresses who have crossed Michele’s path. Yvette Nicole Brown, who worked with Michele on “The Mayor,” and Alex Newell, who worked with Michele on “Glee,” both shared their accounts of unsavory interactions with the actress.
Days after Ware’s viral rant, Michele issued an apology, also noting that she did not recall the “wig” incident.
“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,” Michele shared via an Instagram post. “We all can grow and change and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect on my own shortcomings. … 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.”
In a follow-up interview with Variety, Ware delved into the details of Michele’s bullying, revealing that Michele “told me to shut my mouth” and attempted to get her fired after telling her that she did not deserve her role on “Glee.”
“As soon as she decided that she didn’t like me, it was very evident,” said Ware. “It was after I did my first performance, that’s when it started – the silent treatment, the stare-downs, the looks, the comments under her breath, the weird passive-aggressiveness. It all built up.”
“Does Lea even know what a microaggression is? I don’t know. All that her apology did was affirm that she hasn’t learned anything. Am I calling Lea a racist? No. Does Lea have racist tendencies? I think Lea suffers from a symptom of living in this world in an industry that is tailored to white people.”
According to the father of late “Glee” actress Naya Rivera, who accidentally drowned in 2021 at age 33, Lea Michele and his daughter “hated each other.”
“There was always a fight between them. Always. Everybody knew. Everybody saw it,” said George Rivera.
One Black co-star seemingly came to Michele’s defense. In an Instagram Live interview, when asked if she felt Lea Michele was racist, “Glee” star Amber Riley said, “I’m not going to say that Lea Michele is racist. That’s not what I’m saying. That was the assumption because of what’s going on right now in the world, and it happened toward a Black person.”
However, Riley clarified her statements in a 2022 sit-down with Ziwe. When asked if Riley believed Michele doesn’t see race and is just equally rude to all cast members, Riley replied, “I think that she would probably say she doesn’t see race, but as we discussed earlier, everyone does.”
She went on to add that Lea Michele had reached out to her amid her apology.
“She reached out to me. I responded to her. That’s where it ends for me,” she said. “I ain’t talked to that girl in two years. I have no hatred or ill will on that end. … This is the first and last time I’m gonna say something.”
Similarly, Palmer says that she also has not talked to Lea Michele. During a 2021 appearance on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” Palmer was asked if she still keeps in touch with her “Scream Queens” co-star, to which she responded, “I haven’t talked to her in a minute, now that you brought it up. I’m like, man, where is Lea? Where is Lea?”
Since “Scream Queens” ended, Palmer has worked, according to IMDb, on 25 different film or television projects and has 10 coming up in the pipeline this year and 2025.