Lea Michele suggested that it’s because of her gender that people won’t stop theorizing that she can’t read or write.
“There’s a rumor going online that I can’t read or write? It is pathetic. It is real. I often think that if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn’t be the case,” the “Glee” alum told the New York Times in a profile published Thursday.
Michele, 36, defended herself by pointing out that she showed up for “Glee” and “knew my rules every day.”
The ‘Funny Girl’ star recently joked about the conspiracy theory when she spoke to a group of people – including high school students – in June.
“I didn’t go to college guys, look at me… There’s a rumor online that I can’t read or write, which may have something to do with the fact that I didn’t go to college,” the actress joked in an exclusive video obtained by Vidak For Congress.
The “Spring Awakening” star initially denied the rumors in 2018.
“I was thrilled to READ this tweet and wanted to write back to you,” Michele wrote on Twitter at the time. “Literally laughing out loud at all of this. Love you!!!”
The conspiracy theory began after podcasters Jaye Hunt and Robert Ackerman created a 40-minute viral video trying to prove their claim that the Broadway star was illiterate.
The lengthy video claims, in part, that because she was a child star on Broadway, she simply never had time to learn. The duo also claimed that Michele primarily stars in productions made by Ryan Murphy — such as “Glee” and “Scream Queens” — because he knows about the unproven secret.
Fans have continued to spread the rumor online, and it has gained traction since she spoke to NYT — even trending on Twitter on Thursday.
“Say what you will about ‘Glee’ star Lea Michele. She can’t read it,” one user tweeted.
“Lea Michele’s failure to actually prove she can read while fighting the rumors with her life is hilarious,” wrote another, with several fans encouraging Michele to read aloud to dispel the theory.
“Lea Michele says she can read, makes me more convinced she can’t,” said another bluntly.
Michele also addressed former ‘Glee’ stars, accusing her of bullying them on set.
“I’m ahead. I work very hard. I don’t leave room for mistakes,” she said.
“That level of perfectionism, or that pressure of perfectionism, created a lot of blind spots.”