‘Scream Queens’ Stars Emma Roberts and Lea Michele Both Faced Bullying Allegations from Former Co-stars

Sometimes shooting for a TV show or movie might feel like stepping into a minefield because of all the different personalities, opinions, and egos involved. Sometimes when famous and talented actors are cast for a project, incidents happen when they get on each other’s nerves because of different approaches and views on some things on the set. 

Fox’s horror-comedy series Scream Queens became quite popular on television, with stars like Emma Roberts and Lea Michele. But over the recent past, some of the cast members have discussed some difficult circumstances that were in play during the show’s shoot.

Skyler Samuels Faced Bullying on the Set of Scream Queens

The atmosphere on the Scream Queens set has recently come under scrutiny after cast member Keke Palmer opened up about her experiences in her upcoming memoir, Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative.

Palmer shares a story with her co-star, whom she calls ‘Brenda,’ who once offended her with alleged racial remarks and compared her to Martin Luther King Jr. in a dismissive way. As per the Los Angeles Times, Palmer mentions Brenda saying to her, “Keke, literally, just don’t. Who do you think you are? Martin f–king Luther King?”

However, Palmer stood firm on her ground and didn’t let those remarks affect her negatively. She further writes in her memoir, 

It was such a weighted thing that she said, but I didn’t allow that weight to be projected on me, because I know who I am. I’m not no victim. That’s not my storyline, sweetie. I don’t care what her a** said. If I allow what she said to cripple me, then she would.

Now, a few days after this revelation, another former cast member, Skyler Samuels, also came forward and posted her experience on Instagram. She thanked Palmer for standing for her even if she risked becoming “a target of bullies on set.” Samuels shared,

I am incredibly proud of Keke for speaking out about her experiences on ‘Scream Queens’. That’s what Keke does, she speaks up and stands up, for herself and others. ‘Scream Queens’ was a very challenging show for me. Keke was one of the only people who stood up for me…

In return, Palmer liked the post and responded, “I love you honey”. The main characters of the show were portrayed by a number of well-known actors, including Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin, Lea Michele, and Billie Lourd. 

Such conflicts are often forgotten with time. Although Palmer and Samuels didn’t reveal who ‘Brenda’ actually is, their revelation has sparked some discussions about the on-set behavior of actors. 

A History of Controversial Behavior

Among the cast members of Scream Queens, it has not been the first time that Emma Roberts’ on-set behavior has been put into question. According to Hollywood Life (via Franchise Herald), there had been rumors of tension between Roberts and Ariana Grande during the shooting of Scream Queens, reportedly because of a disagreement about cell phone usage on the set.

Moreover, as per Life & Style (via J-14), Roberts and Michele were “total divas” on set which allegedly offended their co-stars at times. But later, Michele was seen calling Roberts her “Best Friend” on her Instagram. More recently, Roberts’ co-star Angelica Ross alleged that Roberts made some transphobic comments when making the movie (as per NBC News).

Ross posted on her social media about her encounters with Roberts, who allegedly misgendered her and mimicked her voice. Later, Ross reportedly posted on X that Roberts personally called her to offer an apology. Ross responded by writing, “Thank you @RobertsEmma for calling and apologizing, recognizing your behavior was not that of an ally..”

On the other hand, Lea Michele also went through some on-set rumors and controversies. As per Variety, her Glee co-star Samantha Marie Ware accused her of giving “traumatic microaggressions” at work. She was also allegedly accused of racism on set. However, Michele later apologized by sharing a post on her Instagram where she wrote,

While I don’t remember ever making this specific statement and I have never judged others by their background or color of their skin, that’s not really the point. What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people…

Michele later addressed these allegations in a The New York Times interview, acknowledging her past behavior by saying, “I have an edge to me. I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes.” She said her actions were due to an obsession with perfectionism that created “blind spots” for her in how she treated others.

Michele also addressed these things in an Interview Magazine interview, where she said she did “personal reach-outs” to her former co-stars. The interactions, she said, were “incredibly healing and very eye-opening.” She also emphasized her commitment to be the best leader off-stage and on stage.

All seasons of Scream Queens are available to stream on Hulu.