Ayo Edebiri's Response To An Awkward Interview Moment Is Going Viral

Ayo Edebiri will talk whenever she pleases. The actor is currently going viral for her response to an awkward interview moment while promoting her new movie, After the Hunt, at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 6.

Speaking to ArtsLife Tv, her co-stars Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield were asked about the statuses of #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements in 2025. However, the question was specifically not addressed to Edebiri. The trio seemed taken aback by this, with Edebiri stating, “Um, well...” and Garfield turning to his co-stars with an uncomfortable laugh.

“Can you repeat that? With your sunglasses on, I can't tell which of us you're talking to,” Roberts replied, seemingly giving the reporter a chance to redirect the question, only for her to specify that it was just for Roberts and Garfield. “Now that the #MeToo era and the Black Lives Matter are done, what do we have to expect in Hollywood?” she asked.

How Did Ayo React?

Rather than letting her co-stars take the lead, The Bear star addressed her exclusion immediately. “Yeah, I know that that's not for me, and I don't know if it's purposeful it's not for me, but I just am curious,” she replied, before answering the question anyways. “I don't think it's done at all,” she said, with Roberts echoing, “it's not done.”

“I think there's work being done by activists, by people, every day, that's beautiful, important work that's not finished,” Edebiri added. “Maybe there's not mainstream coverage in the way that there might have been, daily headlines in the way that it might have been eight or so years ago, but I don't think that it means that the work is done.”

Garfield also agreed with Edebiri’s response. “The movements are still absolutely alive, as [Ayo said] — just maybe not as labeled and covered, or witnessed or magnified as much in this present moment,” he stated.

How Did The Journalist Respond?

As the interview went viral, journalist Federica Polidoro issued a lengthy statement on Instagram, stating that she has “been subjected to personal insults and attacks because of a question that, for some reason, was not well received by some members of the public.”

Polidoro did not apologize for excluding Edebiri from the question, and instead commented on how she was criticized. “Rather than focusing on the thoughtful responses of Ayo Edebiri, Julia Roberts, and Andrew Garfield, the discussion continues solely on how I should have phrased the question,” she wrote.

In addition, she also addressed “those who unjustly accuse [her] of racism,” adding that she has interviewed people of various backgrounds and that her family “is multi-ethnic, matriarchal, and feminist, with a significant history of immigration.” Edebiri and her co-stars have yet to respond to Polidoro’s statement or the viral outcry.