Context:

Lea Michele has addressed longstanding rumors questioning her ability to read, which have persisted despite her previous denials. During an appearance on the 'Therapuss with Jake Shane' podcast, she humorously disproved the claims by reading aloud from the host's notes. She expressed a mix of amusement and frustration over the conspiracy, noting the absurdity of people investing time in such baseless speculation. Michele highlighted her family's pride in her educational achievements, emphasizing her unique position as one of the few women in her family to attend college. The rumors are particularly vexing given her family's humble background and their sacrifices to provide her with educational opportunities.

Dive Deeper:

• Lea Michele has been the subject of a bizarre conspiracy theory suggesting she cannot read, a claim she has refuted multiple times over the years.

• On the 'Therapuss with Jake Shane' podcast, Michele demonstrated her reading ability by directly reading from the host's notes, countering the persistent rumors.

• She shared her perspective on the conspiracy, oscillating between finding it humorous and being bothered by its persistence, while noting the odd dedication some have to perpetuating it.

• Michele spoke of her family's struggles, mentioning her mother's impoverished upbringing in the Bronx and the family's efforts to secure a better education for her in New Jersey.

• She underscored the importance of her educational achievements, highlighting her acceptance into college as a source of pride for her family, particularly her grandmother.

• The rumors are not only a personal affront but also a minimization of her family's sacrifices and her accomplishments, which she finds both sad and frustrating.

• Lea Michele's response to the conspiracy theory is rooted in her desire to set the record straight and protect the integrity of her family's legacy.

• Lea Michele is proving that she can read.

• If you don’t know, there’s been a conspiracy theory that she doesn’t know how to read for years and years. Despite her speaking out on it in the past, she’s still the subject of these rumors.

• During the “Therapuss with Jake Shane” podcast, Lea responded once again to the rumors.

• Keep reading to find out more…

• Lea said, “Ryan Murphy called me, and he was like, ‘Have you heard this rumor?’ And I was like, ‘No, what’s going on?’ And the fact that we’re here all these years later.”

• She then grabbed Jake‘s notes and said, “Give me the notes. I’m reading that. Jonathan [Groff] is not here to read this for me.”

• She then read from the cards and looked at the camera as proof.

• Jake asked if the rumors bother her.

• She said, “It really depends on the day. Sometimes I think it’s crazy that people care enough about me that they would make up something. That someone has so little to do in their life and their day that they would waste it on me is hilarious to me.”

• She then added that sometimes it is upsetting.

• She said, “I’m one of the only women in my whole family to get accepted to college. My mother and my mother’s whole family was extremely poor, from the Bronx, not very well educated and my parents moved me from the Bronx to New Jersey to get a good education and to thrive and I did. And my parents and my family are so proud of that. It really was so important for my grandmother to see me, and for someone to minimize that, it’s so sad and so frustrating. But yeah, it’s wild.”

• Lea previously revealed why she thinks the rumor started.