American Horror Story actor Sarah Paulson has raised eyebrows with her response to questions around fellow performer, Lea Michele, after she tacitly refused to answer an interviewer’s probing around allegations of Michele’s on set behavior.
During an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” host Andy Cohen attempted to put Paulson on the spot and get her take on allegations of racist behaviour made against Michele. Using Paulson and Michele’s connection with AHS and Glee showrunner Ryan Murphy as a way into the conversation, Cohen queried:
“Since you and Lea Michele are two of Ryan Murphy’s muses, what do you make of the recent news about her on-set behaviour?”
Rather than being drawn into commenting, Paulson diplomatically tapped her AirPod headphones, before replying:
“I’m having a weird connection — I can’t really hear you.”
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Cohen’s questioning refers to allegations made against the former Glee star by colleague Samantha Marie Ware, who accused Michele of many “traumatic microagressions that made me question a career in Hollywood” during their time on set together in 2014.
Watch the clip of the interview here:
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Marie Ware’s comments came after Michele shared a post on social media supporting the recent Black Lives Matter protests. Responding to Michele’s message of solidarity, Marie Ware wrote:
“LMAO REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE MY FIRST TELEVISON GIG A LIVING HELL?!?! CAUSE ILL NEVER FORGET. I BELIEVE YOU TOLD EVERYONE THAT IF TOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YOU WOULD “SHIT IN MY WIG!” AMONGST OTHER TRAUMATIC MICROAGRESSIONS THAT MADE ME QUESTION A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD”
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In a recent statement issued to People magazine, Michele declared:
"While I don’t remember ever making this specific statement and I have never judged others by their background or colour of their skin, that’s not really the point. What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people.”