Lea Michele Speaks Out on Fractured Bond With Glee Cast and Mean-Girl Comments After Cory Monteith's Death

Lea Michele is speaking honestly about how the 2013 death of her boyfriend and Glee co-star Cory Monteith affected her relationship with the rest of the cast. On the Therapuss podcast with Jake Shane, the actress revealed that the tragedy left her feeling isolated from others on set.

When asked if the cast became 'very tight-knit' after Monteith’s death, Michele replied quickly, “No.” She added, “I think in some ways it did for certain people, but I think that, for me, it was so hard. I just completely broke.” Michele said she focused on doing her job and found it difficult to process the loss at such a young age.

Lea Michele played Rachel Berry on the Fox show, while Cory Monteith played Finn Hudson. The two had been dating for a year before Monteith died from a heroin overdose at age 31 in a Vancouver hotel room. Michele said she leaned on the behind-the-scenes crew during that time.

“The [crew members] were holding me up so much as well as the people who were on the show,” she shared. “But a lot of people were gone by then, which was hard.” She added, “Whether or not they know it, I personally felt a lot of support from everybody in the building helping me to get through.”

Michele admitted that she had felt unable to take a break to grieve, stating that if they didn’t show up for work, others wouldn’t have work either. She described the situation as a lot of pressure and said she had to put her own feelings aside to ensure everyone could continue working.

Her comments came as part of her ongoing reflection on her time on Glee and the reputation she carried after the show ended, which she described as a sad and depressing period that had a deep impact on her.

In 2020, former Glee castmate Samantha Ware accused Michele of making her experience a 'living hell' on set, including claiming Michele once said she would “s–t in my wig.” Other cast members like Heather Morris and Amber Riley also spoke out, with Morris calling Michele “very…unpleasant” and Riley sharing that many Black cast members felt 'terrorized.'

Michele later apologized publicly and has since tried to reintroduce herself. In a 2023 Interview magazine feature, she said that it’s helpful to have the opportunity to introduce people to who she is.

On the recent podcast, Michele also joked about internet rumors that she is illiterate. “I can read,” she said with a laugh, putting an end to the long-running joke.

ALSO READ: Lea Michele Opens Up About Grieving Boyfriend and Glee Co-Star Cory Monteith While Still Filming Drama