Ayo Edebiri highlights ongoing activist work amid tense press moment at 'After The Hunt' panel

after being deliberately excluded, ayo edebiri answering a question about the political state of the hashtag “metoo” and “black lives matter” movement with poise and grace for ‘after the hunt’ press in venice pic.twitter.com/svhW7AF06B

While promoting Luca Guadagnino’s new film After The Hunt alongside co-stars Andrew Garfield and Julia Roberts, a reporter asked what had been “lost during the politically correct era” and claimed that “the Me Too movement and Black Lives Matter are done.”

The question was directed only to Garfield and Roberts, despite Edebiri also being present.

Roberts challenged the exclusion by asking the reporter to repeat the question for the group. Edebiri then remarked, “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.”

She continued, “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. And that work isn’t finished at all.”

Garfield agreed, adding that the movements remain “absolutely alive” even if they are “not as witnessed or kind of magnified as much in this present moment.”

Fans expressed shock online that Edebiri, the only Black woman in the room, was excluded from the question. Many referenced her past work, including taking over the role of Missy in Big Mouth during the cultural reckoning around representation.

Edebiri has previously discussed how shifts in casting and storytelling continue to open space for marginalised actors, while also acknowledging the racism she has faced throughout her career.