Ayo Edebiri Clarifies The “Work Isn’t Finished At All” With Me Too, Black Lives Matter Movements
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Despite being awkwardly excluded from a question about the state of the industry, Ayo Edebiri has earned praise for her answer.
When asked by Italian journalist Federica Polidoro what was “lost during the politically correct era” in Hollywood now that the Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements supposedly “are done,” the Golden Globe winner clarified that the “work isn’t finished at all.”
“Yeah, I know that that’s not for me, and I don’t know if it’s purposeful if it’s not me, but I just am curious,” said Edebiri after the ArtsLife TV reporter clarified her question was only for co-stars Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield during a Toronto International Film Festival interview for their Luca Guadagnino-helmed feature After the Hunt.
“I don’t think it’s done, I don’t think it’s done at all. 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, because this world is really charged,” she continued. “And that work isn’t finished at all.”
Edebiri said, “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 it means that the work is done. That’s what I would say.”
Garfield added that the “movements are still absolutely alive,” despite not being as regularly covered by the media anymore. “It’s not done,” said Roberts in response to the question.
One fan on X praised Edebiri for handling the moment “with poise and grace,” as another called out Polidoro for “being unprofessional.”
Polidoro addressed the backlash to her interview in a statement on Sunday, writing 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.”
“To those who unjustly accuse me of racism, 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,” she added in part. “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.
“Journalism’s role is to ask questions, even on delicate topics, with respect and responsibility. I will not tolerate or accept defamatory or violent language, and I reserve the right to seek legal protection against those who, in recent days, have chosen to hide behind the digital mob to insult and attack me instead of seeking a civil and constructive discussion,” added Polidoro.
In After the Hunt, premiering Oct. 10 in theaters, college professor Alma Olsson (Roberts) finds herself at a complicated crossroads when her prized pupil Maggie Price (Edebiri) accuses her colleague Henrik Gibson (Garfield) of sexual assault, threatening to expose a dark secret from her own past.
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