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Venice Interview Excluding Ayo Edebiri From #MeToo, BLM Question Draws Backlash

The interviewer issued a statement denying racism, signaling possible legal action.

Overview

  • At a Venice Film Festival interview for Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt, ArtsLife TV’s Federica Polidoro asked if #MeToo and Black Lives Matter were “finished,” directing the question only to Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield.
  • Ayo Edebiri intervened despite being excluded, stating the movements are not over and highlighting ongoing activist work beyond trending hashtags.
  • Julia Roberts questioned whom the interviewer was addressing, and Andrew Garfield backed Edebiri’s view that the work continues even with reduced media coverage.
  • The exchange went viral on social platforms, with widespread criticism over the exclusion of the panel’s only Black woman from a question about the movements.
  • Polidoro posted an Instagram defense rejecting accusations of racism, describing online abuse against her, and stating she may seek legal protection.