Amber Riley Had An Iconic Response To Being Asked By Ziwe If Lea Michele Was Racist On "Glee"

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While being interviewed on Ziwe, Amber Riley was asked about her previous comments surrounding her former Glee costar Lea Michele’s alleged racist behavior.

Back in 2020, Lea was called out by fellow Glee alum Samantha Ware for "traumatic microagressions" and making her "first television gig a living hell."

<div><p>"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..." she <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/tatianatenreyrowhitlock/samantha-ware-accused-lea-michele-of-traumatic" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:tweeted;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">tweeted</a>. </p></div><span> Taylor Hill / WireImage / Getty Images</span>

In response, Amber said on Instagram Live at the time, "I’m not going to say that Lea Michele is racist. That’s not what I’m saying."

<div><p>"But at the same time, in my inbox there are a lot of black actors and actresses telling me their stories, and were letting me know they have dealt with the same things being on set, being terrorized by the white girls that are the leads of the show,” she added.</p></div><span> Unique Nicole / Stringer / Getty Images</span>

"But at the same time, in my inbox there are a lot of black actors and actresses telling me their stories, and were letting me know they have dealt with the same things being on set, being terrorized by the white girls that are the leads of the show,” she added.

Unique Nicole / Stringer / Getty Images

So, in the new clip, Ziwe asked Amber outright, "You said that one of your famous coworkers wasn't racist, did you mean that she was?"

Showtime
Showtime

"I don't know which coworker you're talking about, I've had so many," Amber replied after trying to ask for another question.

Showtime / Via youtube.com

“I think that she would probably say she doesn’t see race,” Amber eventually added. “But as we discussed earlier, everyone does.”

<div><p>"I don't believe in the 'I don't believe in race' group. I don't believe that they believe that they don't see color," she said earlier in the interview. Amber also laughed over a question that her <i>Glee</i> song "Colorblind" might be about Lea ("It's not about her!").</p></div><span> Showtime / Via <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=74679X1524629&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com%2Fnatashajokic1%2Famber-riley-ziwe-lea-michele&url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNPv3PEeFdxw&xcust=6531500%7CBF-VERIZON&xs=1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:youtube.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">youtube.com</a></span>

Ziwe then brought up a 2017 interview where Lea said that she cried after she learned Spanish to audition for West Side Story but wasn't cast. In classic Ziwe fashion, the question was phrased as, "Who's more diverse: Your famous coworker or your famous coworker after she learned Spanish?" To which Amber replied, "She learned Spanish? What?"

Showtime / Via youtube.com

As for "macro and micro aggressions" Amber herself has experienced in Hollywood, she said, "It always happens in the hair and makeup trailer. 'Oh your hair is so interesting, oh wow, can I touch it?' A lot of that. ... I'm mad at the other actors for wanting to touch my hair."

You can watch the full clip with Amber here.