I previously wrote a blog post about Lea Michele called ‘THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING HUMBLE NO MATTER WHAT YOUR STATUS IS‘. The title itself is fairly self-explanatory. For those of you that don’t know, Leah Michele is an actress, singer, and author. She starred as Rachel Berry on the hit show, ‘Glee’, in the 2010’s. The show got her the attention and the career everyone in showbiz craves for, but she’s actually been working hard since she was 8 years old as a Broadway star. Now she’s back on the broadway scene for the first time since 2006 as she stars as Fanny Brice in the revival of ‘Funny Girl’. Michele had a very strong opening night as she had a total of 6 standing ovations throughout the show, with 4 of them being in just the first act. Some say that she was meant to play Fanny Brice. Others say that her time on ‘Glee’ was actually her audition for the role. And then there are others who’ve said that she doesn’t deserve the role due to her toxic behaviour towards her co-workers throughout her professional career.
To fully understand Michele’s toxic behaviour towards her co-workers, you’ll have to read the linked article above. To summarize, Lea Michele acted like a diva and as though she was above everyone else no matter where she was employed, and even in her personal matters as well, as some speculated. Naya Rivera, her late ‘Glee’ co-star, was the first to ever be open about it. But it was only when Samantha Marie Ware, her other ‘Glee’ co-star, called Michele out for her on set behaviour during the Black Lives Matter era that Michele was really got called out. Once Samantha Marie Ware’s comments got traction, more and more people who’ve worked with Michele or had negative interactions with her opened up about their terrible experiences.
Michele didn’t have much consequence. Aside from her losing a couple of social media sponsorships, her career has actually blossomed since that scandal that happened more than 2 years ago. The mere fact that she even got the role of Fanny Brice just proves that. When the scandal just happened, Michele published a not-so-great apology on her Instagram page and used the word ‘perceived’ a lot in her apology. Someone who uses that word so many times (though once is enough) in their apology isn’t actually sorry. While promoting her role as Fanny Brice, Michele opened up about her new perspective on her work-ethic:
“I really understand the importance and value now of being a leader,” she told the newspaper in an interview published online Thursday. “It means not only going and doing a good job when the camera’s rolling, but also when it’s not. And that wasn’t always the most important thing for me.”
“I have an edge to me. I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes,” she said. “That level of perfectionism, or that pressure of perfectionism, left me with a lot of blind spots.”
She then opened up to Drew Barrymore on how motherhood changed her work ethic as she said that getting married and having her son gave her an opportunity to see things more clearly:
“It was all about my career. I’ve been so career-focused my entire life, I think to a fault. I think I have this sense of drive that created a lot of blind spots for me in my life.”
“And then having our son and experiencing the challenges that we did throughout the pregnancy, was something that unfortunately created a stronger bond in us — that I would never wish on anybody — but it did.”
So, do I believe Lea Michele when she says she’s a changed woman? Yes, I actually do. I didn’t believe her before, but now that I get to actually hear her truthful perspective on the situation, I can honestly say that I believe that she’s being truthful.
Michele had a difficult pregnancy due to her PCOS diagnosis, and was scared all throughout her pregnancy that she’d lose the baby. That’s something I can definitely relate to myself as I’m currently going through a very difficult pregnancy; and I, too, have connected with my husband through this experience in ways I don’t wish on anyone. My difficult pregnancy was brought on by my epilepsy diagnosis. I’m currently 34 weeks pregnant and I’ve already suffered not one, but TWO grand-mal seizures throughout the pregnancy. The latest one was just last week at 33 weeks of pregnancy. Luckily, the baby and I were left unharmed and were free to ho home.
As my pregnancy progresses, my husband and I feel more and more connected to the fetus that will soon become a whole human being that we’ll be responsible for. It’s a bond that can only be described by the two people who are expecting the soon-to-be human baby. Being constantly scared that you’ll lose something that connects you so much more as a couple because of something that you truly can’t control is heartbreaking. Not only is it heartbreaking, but it also opens your eyes to what really matters.
A couple of months ago, a friend of mine said I changed a lot once I became pregnant; that I’m now much calmer and don’t seem to give a f*ck about things that don’t even matter. Yes, that’s true, and I’m so glad that someone close to me noticed that about me. At this point in my life, the only thing that’s important is the new life that I’m carrying. Nothing else matters, and everything and everyone else just seems small and unimportant to me. Every time I’ve been at the hospital and I’ve been told by nurses and doctors that my baby is okay and happy in my womb after a pregnancy complication, that’s what matters to me the most. That’s what makes me the happiest.
So, yes… I do believe that Lea Michele’s work ethic changed for the better, and I do believe her when she says it’s all thanks to her becoming a mother. She even praised her understudy, and noted how important it was for her that people and the fans of the show support her as well. It’s a big step forward for her as she previously, just like her ‘Glee’ character, Rachel Berry, wasn’t a good sport about her having an understudy and made sure everyone around her knew that.
A woman’s body can do miracles. We bring new lives into the world. For some of us, those 9 months of pregnancy can be absolutely brutal. They can be filled with fear, anxiety, and physical and emotional pain. Those 9 months of pregnancy can be a rollercoaster ride that lasts almost a whole year, and once you get to the end of it and you get to hear that your baby is healthy, it’s the most rewarding experience. It brings maturity and growth to a woman. It certainly did that for me.
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