Lea Michele has had to miss two performances on Broadway, after her two-year-old son was hospitalised with a ‘scary health’ issue.
The Glee actor had been performing as Fanny Brice in the classic show Funny Girl, prior to her son’s sudden hospital admission.
Michele has yet to give more details and it’s still unclear whether she will be able to perform in the show later today.
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It’s been a tough year for Michele, who has also come under fire in an explosive documentary about the TV show that made her a household name.
Despite playing the character of Rachel Berry in the Fox show, Glee, the Broadway star was often criticised for her on-set behaviour during the series.
In a documentary about the show, called The Price Of Glee, Michele was criticised for her relationship with her co-star Cory Monteith.
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Cast and crew said they were ‘surprised’ by the romance and questioned whether the two leading actors were a good match.
After Monteith’s tragic passing, Michele also came under fire for returning to set just two weeks later and calling for her colleagues to do so.
Cast member Jodi Tanaka, stated that: “It was only a couple of weeks. All of the actors had to just pull themselves together and get back to work. Everyone was just kind of forced to.”
Other stars have also hit back at Michele after the series ended, including Amber Riley, Heather Morris and Samantha Ware.
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In another blow for the actor, her young son, Ever Leo Reich, was suddenly hospitalised on 22 March.
Michele gave birth to her son Ever in August 2020 and is the first child with husband Zandy Reich.
Taking to Instagram, the actor shared the heartbreaking news with her fans and apologised for missing Wednesday's matinee and evening performances of Funny Girl.
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In her story, she also posted a photograph of little Ever with a teddy bear as she explained the traumatic hospital visit, writing: "I’m so sorry but unfortunately I will be out of @FunnyGirlBwy today.
"We are at the hospital with our son dealing with a scary health issue that I need to be here for. I’m so sorry. Please send us some love and strength."
Not long after this, the musical also confirmed that Michele would not be performing.
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The official Funny Girl Instagram announced that Julie Benko would be starring in the iconic Broadway role instead.
It’s not the first time that the stage show has had to change its leading lady as actor Beanie Feldstein suddenly quit the production, in July of last year.
The Booksmart star made the announcement on Instagram, writing: "Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated."
It had been expected that Feldstein would appear in the show until April 2023.
Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity, Film and TV
Katherine Sidnell