A short interview clip from Italy's ArtsLife TV that appeared to exclude actress Ayo Edebiri from questions about Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement went viral this week, prompting widespread online criticism and a public response from the program's journalist, Federica Polidoro.
In the segment, Edebiri, 29, joined co-stars Julia Roberts, 57, and Andrew Garfield, 42, to promote the film After the Hunt. Viewers and social media users said Polidoro repeatedly addressed Roberts and Garfield on topical questions while failing to direct the same questions to Edebiri, who is Black. At one point, Roberts interrupted the exchange and asked Polidoro to repeat herself, saying, "Can you repeat that? With your sunglasses on I can't tell which of us you're talking to." Edebiri eventually answered one of the questions on the topic.
The clip circulated widely on social platforms and drew criticism on Reddit and other forums, where commenters accused the interviewer of sidelining Edebiri and described the exchange as reflective of racism. Some users praised Garfield's body language during the segment, noting he shifted to let Roberts and Edebiri respond. Other commentators highlighted Edebiri's composure and willingness to speak up when not initially addressed.
In a post to her roughly 19,100 Instagram followers, Polidoro said she had been the target of personal insults and what she described as cyberbullying following the interview. "Following an interview, I have 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 wrote. She denied allegations of racism and defended her conduct, saying all contributions were published in full in the ensuing article.
Polidoro wrote that critics had focused narrowly on the wording and order of her questions rather than the responses of Roberts, Garfield and Edebiri. "I find it striking that those who unjustly accuse me of racism and consider themselves custodians of justice find acceptable violent language, personal attacks, and cyberbullying," she said. She added that she had interviewed people of "every background and ethnicity" during more than 20 years in journalism, and noted that her own family is "multi-ethnic, matriarchal, and feminist, with a significant history of immigration."
Polidoro argued there is no industry protocol dictating the order in which interview questions must be asked and warned against what she described as efforts to "muzzle journalism." She asserted that professional assessment of her work should come from the Journalists' Association rather than "social media tribunals" and said she reserved the right to seek legal protection against defamatory or violent language.
The exchange has prompted discussion about interviewing practices in group settings and whether hosts should directly address questions to individual guests, especially on sensitive topics. Edebiri, who has received Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild recognition for her work on the FX series The Bear, has become a focal point in the conversation about representation and inclusion in media interviews.
Representatives for ArtsLife TV and for the actors did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The published interview, Polidoro said, contains the full contributions of the three actors.
The incident underscores broader debates in entertainment and journalism about how interviewers handle questions about race, gender and social movements when multiple guests of differing backgrounds are present. Journalists and media organizations have faced increased scrutiny in recent years over question selection and the allocation of speaking opportunities in mixed panels and roundtables. Polidoro's statement frames the controversy as both a professional dispute about reporting practice and a personal response to online backlash.