Lea Michele Reflects on Glee Backlash, Talks Healing and Growth

Lea Michele has been in the public eye since her breakout role as Rachel Berry on Fox’s hit show Glee. After the show ended in 2015, she faced a lot of backlash from former castmates. Now, Michele is reflecting on that experience and how it has helped her grow. In an interview with Self magazine, Michele opened up about how she was able to move forward after the backlash. “I had a lot of healing and very eye-opening conversations that were really important for me to have,” she said. “It allowed me to be able to look at myself in the mirror and be proud of who I am today.” Michele went on to explain how difficult it was for her to go through such public scrutiny. “When you go through something like this publicly—it’s not just privately healing but publicly healing too," she said. "You want people to know that you are growing and changing as a person." The actress also discussed how her faith has helped her stay grounded during tough times. “My faith is so important to me," she shared. "I think having faith helps you get through things that seem impossible or insurmountable because there is always hope." Michele concluded by saying that while it was hard going through such public criticism, it ultimately made her stronger and more resilient as a person. She hopes that other people can learn from her experience and use it as motivation for their own growth journey.