Ayo Edebiri drew widespread attention after a tense moment during an interview last week with Italian outlet ArtsLife TV, in which a reporter asked Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield — but not Edebiri — what had been “lost during the politically correct era” and what to expect “after the MeToo movement and the Black Lives Matter are done.”
The question, posed while Edebiri, Roberts and Garfield were promoting their new film After the Hunt, prompted a visible reaction from Edebiri and startled her co-stars. Andrew Garfield turned toward his colleagues and laughed aloud; Roberts asked the reporter to repeat the question, saying she could not tell who was being addressed because the interviewer was wearing sunglasses.
The reporter, Federica Polidoro, repeated the question and clarified, “So, the question was for Julia and Andrew.” Edebiri then spoke directly about the movements, saying, “It’s not done,” and adding that although some daily headlines and hashtags may have faded, “I don’t think it means that the work is done.” She continued, “I do think that there’s work being done by activists, by people, every day, that’s beautiful, important work that’s not finished.”
Roberts and Garfield joined in the response. Roberts said, “I don’t think it’s done at all,” while Garfield’s initial reaction was one of visible surprise. The exchange was captured on video and circulated widely on social platforms including X and Reddit, where many users praised Edebiri’s composure and the way her co-stars reacted.
Clips of the interview sparked online commentary about the question’s framing and about why Edebiri — a Black woman and one of the film’s leads — was not included when the reporter posed the question. Some commentators described the moment as an example of awkward or tone-deaf interviewing; others commended the actors for addressing the issue directly.
Polidoro issued an Instagram statement on Sunday responding to the public backlash, 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 did not address why she excluded Edebiri from the initial question.
In her statement, Polidoro defended her journalistic approach, writing that “censoring or delegitimizing questions considered ‘uncomfortable’ does not fall within the practice of democracy” and adding that she has interviewed people of many backgrounds. She wrote that messages she had received included “violent language, personal attacks, and cyberbullying,” and said that those who “unjustly accuse” her of racism were seeking to “muzzle journalism.”
After the Hunt, directed by Luca Guadagnino, examines themes tied to cultural and political shifts in the United States, including those connected to gender and race. The film has appeared on the festival circuit and attracted attention for its subject matter and its high-profile cast. The interview that sparked the viral clip was conducted while the actors were promoting the film.
The incident highlights ongoing sensitivities about how journalists frame questions on race and social movements, and how interview subjects and audiences react when perceived exclusions or missteps occur. Polidoro’s statement framed the backlash as an overreach by critics, while social media reactions reflected a mix of support for Edebiri and criticism of the reporter’s phrasing and apparent exclusion.