Jameela Jamil Has A Message For People Making Jokes About The Rumor That Lea Michele Can't Read

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At this point, if you've been on the internet regularly, you've probably come across some form of the "Lea Michele can't read" meme.

Lea smiling and wearing a short dress and high heels
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As BuzzFeed News pointed out earlier this week, the meme has origins in a 2017 episode of the pop culture–focused podcast One More Thing — and it's more or less remained on the web ever since.

Lea on the red carpet in an off-the-shoulder dress
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The meme had a specific resurgence after Lea was accused of "traumatic microagressions" by former Glee costar Samantha Ware back in 2020.

Lea on the red carpet
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Lea already addressed the meme/rumor earlier this week, and now Jameela Jamil is joining in to defend her as well.

Close-up of Lea smiling
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The She-Hulk: Attorney at Law actor recently took to Instagram to address the fact that she sees "a lot of people claiming a certain actress can't read... and then laughing at her."

"Whatever your issue with someone, and I don't know this woman, or anything about her, but laughing at the idea of *anyone* not being able to read makes YOU look like a prick. An elitist, ableist bore."

Jameela on the red carpet
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She added, "It's embarrassing for you, not them."

Jameela on the red carpet
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In the caption, she added, "Don't let the debris of your bullets meant for some... hit those you weren't aiming at."

Jameela on the red carpet
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Jameela also wrote, "Some people can't read because of disability, learning disabilities, some can't because of a lack of access to education. Your words and actions also affect them."

Jameela smiling slightly with arms crossed
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She added, "If you're so fucking smart, find a smarter way to insult the people you think are bad. 🤘🏽"

Jameela on the red carpet
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It should be noted that Jameela not only avoided mentioning Lea by name but also pretty much sidestepped defending her, instead gesturing toward some of the reasons that people have turned on Lea to begin with.

Jameela in a print jacket and sunglasses
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Her general position seems to be that, if you're making fun of someone for not being able to read, you're likely to hurt others who might struggle with being able to read — and, honestly, that's more than fair.

  Amanda Edwards / Getty Images
Amanda Edwards / Getty Images

You can read more about what Lea had to say about the meme here.