Lea Michele: Bullied Into Changing Her Name

Posted on Dec 9th 2011 10:05AM by Sarah Chazan

Michael Buckner | Getty

There's a reason Lea Michele is so convincing as a bullied teen on the hit show 'Glee,' -- the star reveals she was the victim of bullying in her real life, too! The taunts were specifically hurtful when they came to Lea's original last name, "Sarfati." In fact, the teasing got so bad that Lea took it upon herself to change her surname altogether!

"Sarfati, that's my real last name," the star of the movie 'New Year's Eve' told Jay Leno this week (Dec. 7). "I don't use it a lot because I got 'Lea So Fatty' [and] 'Lea So Farty' in school."

Naturally all that teasing took a toll of Lea, so when she saw the opportunity to switch up her God-given name, she took it! "When I was little and I went on my first audition, they were like, 'May we have your name?' I was like 'Lea Michele' ... and I've been Lea Michele ever since!'

The 'Glee' gal may have changed her name, but there's one thing Lea refuses to alter ... her nose! Even though the unique beauty reveals she was, and is, criticized for her prominent facial feature, she won't go under the knife to change it. "I'm proud to be on a positive show and to be a voice for girls and say, 'You don't need to look like everybody else,'" Lea tells Hollywood Life. "Love who you are!"

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Around The Web:

Lea Michele bullied into changing her name... - Toronto.com

Lea Michele | Lea Michele: Bullies Made Me Change Name ...

Lea Michele Changed Her Last Name Because of Bullying ...

Lea Michele: Bullies made me change name - Female First

Bullying made me change name: Lea Michele

Lea Michele bullied into changing her name - thestar.com

Lea Michele Changed Her Name Due To Bullies

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Aaron

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December 12 2011 at 5:23 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

TheFutureIsNOW

She wasn't bullied INTO changing her name. She was made fun of for her name, yes bullied, like most kids about their names (Michelle-a ma bella, go quick to hell-a, Michelle-a!, that kinda school yard taunt) and so she changed her name to a more "bullet-proof" name. Arab names were not popular then or now in some towns. Same as Jewish names before or Catholic names before that, or Irish, or Italian, there is always a target and it's a moving one. It is cavemen mentality, the group IQ sucks the originality out of kids and those who succumb form a posse. Same with Bully-moms, they are actually the worst. Insecure moms who use the popularity of their kids to score their own points, especially if a celebrity is involved, especially in LA, argh, obnoxious.

December 11 2011 at 12:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Denise

Why would she be "criticized" for something she was born with? That's just plain stupid.

December 10 2011 at 9:07 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

jfarzin1

hi anita

December 10 2011 at 7:47 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

jfarzin1

December 10 2011 at 7:46 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

KerryC

Bah! Sarfati's not so bad. Think of those whose last name is Rottencrotch. Now that's an unfortunate name!

December 10 2011 at 7:29 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to KerryC's comment

TheFutureIsNOW

I had a friend whose family name was Cox and her cousins name was Dix, in the 70's she got a lot of flack. But kept it. Weiner should have changed his name to stay under the radar with his weiner shots. LOL

December 11 2011 at 12:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

TeacherSonja1Son

Hello,

I'm Sonja. Name changing is true of many people. I experienced that in the Class Room. I'm calling names on the Student Roster, I'm told :" that's not my name."
Those children chose their own name because they were very uncomfortable with the name their Family chose for them.
I called them by the name they chose. They got upset, when I did not name them as they had chosen.

Sonja

December 10 2011 at 7:06 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

beaujest77

of course she got teased for her name -- kids being kids -- but Sarfati is a beautiful name. and her nose is just fine, she should never change it.

December 10 2011 at 6:55 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

IRVING

Sarfati is a proud sephardic name. Sorry she changed it, hope she leaves her nose alone.

December 10 2011 at 6:25 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

goddenll

Sarfati is An ARAB NAME & SUrely This ALSO Caused Hollywood to make her change her name
Some Other Horrible But Funny Names are
Leonard Sly === They changed it to ROY ROGERS
Aracibald Leach=== Changed his name =====To Clark Gable
ahahah SO The List Goes ON===

December 10 2011 at 4:39 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to goddenll's comment

lee4kats

Archibald Alexander Leach was Cary Grant's real name. Clark Gable's name was William Clark Gable. He never went by William, even as a child, as his father's first name was also William. Oh and Roy Rogers' real name was Leonard Franklin Slye, not Sly.

December 10 2011 at 5:02 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

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