Ayo Edebiri is capturing viral attention for her poised and thoughtful response during an awkward interview moment. The Emmy-winning actress displayed remarkable grace while being interviewed by Italian outlet ArtsLife TV alongside her *After the Hunt* co-stars Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield. The cringe-worthy moment unfolded when journalist Federica Polidoro directed a question about the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements solely to Roberts and Garfield.
"Can you repeat that? With your sunglasses on, I can't tell which of us you're talking to," Roberts, 57, interjected, seemingly giving the interviewer a chance to redirect her query. Garfield, 42, turned to his co-stars with an uncomfortable laugh, while Edebiri, 29, hesitated, saying, "Um... well...."
Polidoro then rephrased her question, asking, "Now that the #MeToo era and the Black Lives Matter [movement] are done, what do we have to expect in Hollywood?" She also referenced what she described as "what we lost... with the politically correct era."
Edebiri responded swiftly, stating, "Yeah, I know that that's not for me, and I don't know if it's purposeful that it's not for me, but I just am curious." The *Bear* actress went on to passionately defend the ongoing relevance of both movements. "I don't think it's done. I don't think it's done at all," she asserted, with Roberts echoing, "It's not done."
Edebiri continued, "I think maybe hashtags might not be used as much, but I do think that there's work being done by activists, by people, every day, that's beautiful, important work that's not finished—that's really, really, really active for a reason, 'cause this world is really charged. And that work isn't finished at all."
"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," she added. "That's what I would say."
Garfield concurred, "And that the movements have been halted in any way... 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."
Fans quickly praised Edebiri's response, with one X user describing her answer as "poise and grace personified," and another calling her "a superstar class act." One enthusiastic supporter wrote, "Ayo Edebiri the queen that you are," while another commented, "It's so insane to me that the interviewer would ask a question regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, then proceed to deliberately exclude the only Black person in the room... anyway, Ayo handled this beautifully, and her answer was very insightful."
In response to the backlash over her question phrasing, Polidoro issued a lengthy Instagram statement, saying she had "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." She emphasized that rather than focusing on the thoughtful responses from Edebiri, Roberts, and Garfield, the discussion centered solely on how she should have phrased the question. Polidoro insisted that all contributions from those present were reported in full in the published interview, without omissions.
Addressing accusations of racism, Polidoro wrote, "I would like to clarify that in my work I have interviewed people of every background and ethnicity, and my own family is multi-ethnic, matriarchal, and feminist, with a significant history of immigration. I have collaborated for over twenty years with numerous national and international publications of all political orientations, always approaching my work with openness and professional rigor."
"In my view, the real racists are those who see racism everywhere and seek to muzzle journalism, limiting freedom of analysis, critical thinking, and the plurality of perspectives," she added. "Journalism’s role is to ask questions, even on delicate topics, with respect and responsibility."
*After the Hunt* follows Roberts as an Ivy League professor who "finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star student (Edebiri) makes an accusation against one of her colleagues (Garfield), and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light," according to a synopsis.
During a press conference at the Venice International Film Festival on August 29, Roberts fielded questions from a reporter who suggested some have felt the movie "undermines feminist principles and undermines the feminist struggle" in a post-#MeToo world.
"The thing you just said that I love is that it ‘revives old arguments,'" the Oscar winner responded. "I don’t necessarily think it’s reviving just an argument of women being pitted against each other or not supporting each other. There's a lot of old arguments that get rejuvenated in this movie in a way that does create conversation."
"The best part of your question is you talking about how you all came out of the theater talking about it, and that’s how we wanted it to feel—that everybody comes out with all these different feelings and emotions and points of view and things that you realize what you believe in strongly. Because we stir it all up for you," she continued, adding with a laugh, "So, you’re welcome."
*After the Hunt* opens in select theaters on October 10, followed by a wider release on October 17.
