Lea Michele debunks reading conspiracy on Jake Shane’s podcast

Actress and Broadway star Lea Michele has finally tackled the long-running internet rumor that she can't read — and she did it by, well, reading.

Appearing on the May 7 episode of the podcast Therapuss with Jake Shane, Michele addressed the bizarre conspiracy theory in a way fans didn’t expect: by reading a page of fan-submitted questions out loud.

The viral rumor, which has circulated online for nearly a decade, has been widely recognized as a joke, yet it became one of pop culture’s most persistent running gags. Michele leaned into the humor while setting the record straight. “Jonathan [Groff] is not here to read me this shit,” she quipped, referencing her Spring Awakening co-star.

Still, the Glee alum admitted the rumor has affected her. “Sometimes I think it’s crazy that people care enough about me to make it up,” she said. “And then there are moments where I get so frustrated… I’m one of the only women in my family who got accepted to college.”