Keke Palmer Weighs in on Viral Internet Conspiracy That ‘Scream Queens’ Costar Lea Michele Can’t Read: ‘She Has to’

Michele has previously addressed the speculation surrounding her literacy, calling the online rumors ‘sad’

Keke Palmer shares her two cents on Lea Michele and her literacy.

During the November 19 episode of The Toast podcast, the actress, 31, spoke about a viral internet conspiracy involving her former Shout queens costar and her alleged inability to read.

“I know she can read, y’all,” Palmer said. ‘I’ve never seen her read, but I know she can read. She has to.”

Although she claimed she had never seen Michele, 38, reading a book on set, she laughed: “Damn, that’s crazy, why do people do things like this. I mean, no one sees me reading a book on set. You all know that. girl can read.”

Related: Lea Michele Jokes She Has ‘265 Days to Learn to Read’ Ahead of Release of Barbra Streisand Memoirs

“Honestly, if she can’t read, then what? S—, some people can’t read. (If) she can’t read, mom can’t read either,” Palmer said, adding that she was “here” for those who were illiterate.

Michele, who took on the role of Hester Ulrich in the Ryan Murphy comedy, has previously addressed rumors online that she cannot read or write. Over the years, several viral TikToks and social media threads have pushed a conspiracy theory that Michele never learned to read, with people claiming to show “proof.”

“I went to cheerfulness every day; I knew my lines every day. And then there’s a rumor online that I can’t read or write? It’s sad. That’s really true,” she said The New York Times in 2022. “I often think that if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn’t be the case.”

Related: Lea Michele Says She Had Many ‘Healing and Very Eye-Opening’ Conversations After ‘Glee’ Backlash

Michele previously joked about the rumors when they surfaced in March 2018. She set the record straight with a sense of humor, tweeting to a fan who said it made her “laugh right now”: “Loved READING this tweet and wanted to write back? Literally laughing out loud at all of this?

Palmer isn’t the first of Michele’s co-stars to get involved in the conspiracy.

During a performance op Watch What Happens live with Andy Cohen in January 2023, Emma Roberts opened up about seeing Michele on Broadway Funny girl and her biggest misconception is about her.

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When host Andy Cohen suspected the misconception was “that she can’t read,” Roberts responded with a laugh, “I mean, we haven’t been in a book club together, but… No.”

Modern family alumnus Julie Bowen, who appeared next to her, joked, “Why the fuck is reading so important? Don’t let her read if she wants to.’