Broadway actor Jonathan Groff reacted to long-standing rumors about his close friend and former “Glee” castmate, Lea Michele.
E! News reported that Groff said he was aware that rumors have circulated that Michele is unable to read during the October 10 episode of “Tactful Pettiness with Cody Rigsby and Andrew Chappelle,” hosted by Cody Rigsby and Andrew Chappelle. According to E! News, speculation regarding Michele’s reading ability began in 2017.
Groff told Rigsby and Chappelle that the rumors are false.
“I have seen her read. Oh, my god. LOL. Wait, do you really think she can’t read?” said Groff, who was amused.
Groff also confirmed that he had seen “her reading the music stand” during their rehearsals for “Spring Awakening” and “Glee.”
“Let it be known … We’re dispelling it. That’s so funny,” said Groff during the podcast episode.
Lea Michele Addressed the Rumors in 2018
Michele reacted to the rumors about her reading ability in a 2018 interview on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen,” hosted by Bravo producer Andy Cohen.
Michele said she came across a 45-minute long “conspiracy video,” wherein they tried “to prove that [she] can’t read or write.” According to Michele, the person who made the video claimed that “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy would have to feed her lines during the show’s six-season run.
“Ryan called me, he’s like, ‘Do people think I have the time in my life to come and do this?’” said Michele to Cohen.
She also said the rumor was “the most bizarre thing that’s ever happened to [her].”
Jonathan Groff Shared His Support for Lea Michele After She Returned to Broadway
Groff and Michele have been close friends since co-starring on the Broadway show, “Spring Awakening,” which premiered in 2006.
Groff shared his support for Michele when she returned to Broadway for the 2022 revival of “Funny Girl.” While speaking to Access Hollywood in September 2022, Groff said watching her play Fanny Brice on Broadway was an emotional experience.
“It was like watching a girl become a woman right in front of our eyes. It was transcendent. The audience was incredible. She was incredible. It was emotional. I wept through most of it. She said she could hear me crying. From the first line that she sings is ‘Who are you now? Are you someone more than you were before?’ It’s her first line of the show. I like lost it,” said Groff to the publication.
He also said that he had helped Michele rehearse her performance.
“I had been going to her place to help her run lines. So I’d been feeling like a part of it with her. Watching her prepare. She’d send me videos from rehearsal. So watching her just slay it like that and to feel the love for her, was unbelievable,” shared Groff.
In addition, Groff said Michele had a wonderful time playing Fanny.
“I think that getting to play this role of a lifetime, and getting to spend the days and the nights with her son and her family, it’s like she’s living her ultimate existence right now,” said Groff to Access Hollywood.
Lea Michele Said She Was Aware That Jonathan Groff Shed Tears During Her Broadway Performance in 2022
During a September 2024 appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” hosted by Drew Barrymore, Michele said she was aware that Groff had an emotional reaction to her portrayal of Fanny.
“I sat at the desk at the top of the show and I started singing the first few notes of the first song. And I immediately heard my best friend Jonathan hysterically crying. And I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ I was like, ‘He’s going to cry the entire show,’” said Michele during the 2022 interview.
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