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."
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."
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?"
"I don't know which coworker you're talking about, I've had so many," Amber replied after trying to ask for another question.
“I think that she would probably say she doesn’t see race,” Amber eventually added. “But as we discussed earlier, everyone does.”
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?"
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."
