Following news breaking that Lea Michele allegedly mocked trans model Plastic Martyr, a source close to her is speaking out defending her.
“The LGBTQ community is one that is and always has been close to Lea’s heart and her support for the LGBTQ community has been evident over the many years with the work she has done in public and in private supporting the community,” a source close to the actress confirmed to Access Hollywood.
The source also revealed how Lea is doing, saying that the star is taking the time to listen and learn.
Lea “is really taking this time to listen, to learn and to work on the changes she knows she wants and needs to make but mainly she is listening to really taking all the feedback to heart. She is reaching out to cast members from her shows and listening,” the source told us.
Lea, who has previously supported GLAAD, HRC and amfAR as well as penning an open letter to the LGBTQ+ community for Billboard, has most recently come under fire after trans model Plastic Martyr accused her of previously mocking her in a bathroom at the Emmys.
In a post on Instagram, the model noted that she wasn’t trying to cancel the “Glee” star’s career, but simply wanted to raise awareness for transgender individuals.
“This was my experience with #leamichele this isn’t to start hate or cancel someone’s career. It’s to hopefully open people’s eyes up to the horrible transphobia that exists but no one really talks about. The press doesn’t cover transgender stories or trans people, our experiences often go ignored,” the caption reads.
The allegations came after a slew of stars have been bashing the “Scream Queens” star online, which all started after Michele posted about Black Lives Matter.
Her former co-star Samantha Ware quote-tweeted her claiming that Lea had made her life a “living hell.”
Lea went on to issue a public apology that reads in part, “When I tweeted the other day, it was meant to be a show of support for our friends and neighbors and communities of color during this really difficult time, but the responses I received to what I posted have made me also focus specifically on how my own behavior towards fellow cast members was perceived by them.”
— Stephanie Swaim