Lea Michele debunks reading conspiracy on Jake Shane's podcast
Actress and Broadway star Lea Michele has finally tackled the long-running internet rumor that she can't read — and she did it by, well, reading.
Appearing on the May 7 episode of the podcast Therapuss with Jake Shane, Michele addressed the bizarre conspiracy theory in a way fans didn't expect: by reading a page of fan-submitted questions out loud.
The viral rumor, which has circulated online for nearly a decade, has been widely recognized as a joke, yet it became one of pop culture's most persistent running gags. Michele leaned into the humor while setting the record straight. 'Jonathan [Groff] is not here to read me this shit,' she quipped, referencing her Spring Awakening co-star.
Still, the Glee alum admitted the rumor has affected her. 'Sometimes I think it's crazy that people care enough about me to make it up,' she said. 'And then there are moments where I get so frustrated… I'm one of the only women in my family who got accepted to college.'
Michele shared that her family moved from the Bronx to New Jersey to give her better educational opportunities. 'It was really important to my grandmother to see me succeed,' she added. 'For someone to minimize that is so sad.'
With humor and sincerity, Lea Michele has officially put the conspiracy to rest — and proved, once and for all, that she absolutely can read.
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