Why Spring Awakening’s Lea Michele Battled “Mom Guilt”

Leah Michele recently had a rude awakening about how hard it is to be a working mom.

The mom of 1-year-old Ever opened up about balancing parenthood with work in an exclusive interview with E! News’ Daily Pop on April 27 alongside BFF Jonathan Groff. The Spring Awakening star filmed the musical’s reunion special—airing on HBO May 3—last fall.

“Doing Spring Awakening in November [2021] was the first time that I really left [Ever], and I went back to doing what I really love so much,” she told E! News. “I definitely had mom guilt, for sure, of leaving him and not being there 24/7. But it was so important for me to show him me doing what I really love.”

Motherhood is a role the actress was born to play. She and husband Zandy Reich welcomed son Ever Leo Reich in August 2020.

“Motherhood is beautiful, it’s intense, it’s hard. I’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done,” she shared. “[Ever] doesn’t call me ‘mama’ anymore. Now he just calls me ‘mom,’ and I’m like, ‘How did this happen?’ And over the monitor this morning at 7:00 a.m. I just hear, ‘Mom, mom, mom, mom?’ The actress joked, “I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I have a 4-year-old.'”