Heather Morris Drags and Defends ‘Glee’ Co-Star Lea Michele in a Single Tweet

Heather Morris is sending a mixed message about former Glee co-star Lea Michele after the actress was accused of making life “a living hell” for actress Samantha Marie Ware on the set of the Ryan Murphy series. As several of Michele’s former co-workers have come forward with their own experiences with the actress, Morris defended the actress while also calling her “unpleasant to work with.”

“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 to anyone else,” Morris wrote. “With that said, was she unpleasant to work with? Very much so; for Lea to treat others with disrespect that she did for as long as she did, I believe she SHOULD be called out.”

She continued of her own role in Michele’s behavior, “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.” Morris then went on to seemingly deny Michele’s treatment of Ware was based in racism, concluding cryptically, “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…”

After Ware came forward with her accusations toward Michele, claiming the Scream Queens actress threatened to “s— in [her] wig,” the Broadway actress came forward to apologize. Saying that she didn’t remember those actions towards Ware, Michele wrote, “What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people,” adding that she will continue to “grow and change” as well as “reflect on my own shortcomings.”

Former Glee star Amber Riley spoke about the scandal to journalist Danielle Young on Instagram Live, saying that while there are far more important things happening right now with the Black Lives Matter protests, she was “proud” of Ware for standing up for herself. “I am proud of her not being fearful for speaking her truth … [Her] feeling was, ‘I am not going to allow you to jump on what is happening now when you didn’t treat me right,’” Riley said.

Adding that she wasn’t “going to say that Lea Michele is racist,” Riley said that Glee was “not the most comfortable environment” to work in, calling for black actresses to be treated not as “expendable,” but respected as their white colleagues. “I wish Lea Michele well, I hope that she has an amazing pregnancy, I hope that she has grown,” Riley added. “That [statement] she put out, I didn’t read it because I told y’all I don’t give a s— about it…. She reached out to me, I responded to her and that’s where it ends for me. I ain’t talk to that girl in two years. I have no hatred or ill will on that end.”