Jonathan Groff, Tony-winner extraordinaire and bestie to Lea Michele, found himself smack dab in the middle of a podcast interrogation β Tactful Pettiness with Cody Rigsby and Andrew Chappelle. And what did they want to know? Whether Lea Michele, Broadway darling, is… illiterate. Yup. You read that right (unlike Lea, apparently?).
Cody and Andrew went right for the jugular: “So, Jonathan, spill the tea β can Lea read, or nah?”
Groff, likely clutching his pearls metaphorically (or literally, who knows), immediately burst out:
βIβve SEEN her read! Oh my God, do people really believe she canβt? How does a rumor like that even start?! Itβs insane!β
Not ones to miss a beat, the hosts prodded further: βOkay, but like, have you specifically seen her read sheet music in rehearsals?β
Jonathanβs hilarious response? βNow thatβs a great example. Nope, she didnβt show up off-book!β Cue dramatic gasp.
But he wasnβt done. Groff wrapped things up with:
βListen, weβre officially ending this nonsense here and now. Itβs too funny, but seriously, let it be knownβLea can read. The rumor dies today.β
For those keeping track of the timeline, Lea Michele has been in on the joke for years. Back when she was starring in Funny Girl on Broadway, she embraced the meme like a champβproving that if thereβs one thing she can read, itβs the room.