Italian journalist Federica Polidoro has issued a brash response following a controversial interview with After the Hunt stars Ayo Edebiri, Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield.
Edebiri, 29, Roberts, 57, and Garfield, 42, were guests on Italy’s ArtsLife Tv in a segment hosted by Polidoro.
However, the Italian repeatedly appeared to ignore Edebiri, who is a Black woman, on questions related to Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement – and at one point, specifically excluding an uncomfortable Edebiri from responding to the question.
Polidoro was given several chances to divert the question to the Emmy-winning star of The Bear but continued to focus on Roberts and Garfield.
Roberts told Polidoro at one point, ‘Can you repeat that? With your sunglasses on I can’t tell which of us you’re talking to.’
Edebiri – who has also won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her efforts on the popular FX series – eventually answered one of the questions despite being ignored by the interviewer.
As the clip went viral and responses flooded in on social media, many people took the journalist to task for the way she conducted the group interview.
A number of commenters on the Reddit thread r/FauxMoi were critical of Polidoro’s conduct in the interview with the trio of celebrities.
One asked: ‘Why… would you ask a man about the MeToo movement but purposefully exclude a woman?
‘WHY would you ask Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield about BlackLivesMatter but exclude Ayo Edebiri????’
Another user commented that the interview was reflective of racism, to which a commenter agreed.
‘So blatant too,’ the user said, ‘to an A-list celebrity in front of cameras and an audience … the f***ing cheek … ayo’s truly better than me because wtf was that question.’
One user praised Garfield for his body language and demeanor amid the uncomfortable segment.
‘The way he shifted his entire body to face Julia and Ayo and let them answer the question tells me he knows he’s got no place to answer a question like that lol,’ the user said. ‘I’m just grateful it was Andrew Garfield and not, like, Chris Pratt. We’d have a five minute answer about cancel culture.
‘Also, Ayo knew. She couldn’t wait to jump in when she saw she was being purposefully excluded. She still had so much grace in the face of that but didn’t allow her voice to be silenced. Love her.’
In a blistering response, Polidoro told 19.1K Instagram followers that she had been cyberbullied in the wake of 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,’ Polidoro said.
She continued: ‘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.’
Polidoro said that she felt the public discourse about the controversial interview was misguided; and that she fulfilled all professional obligations in her conduct in the segment.
‘I would like to clarify that, rather than focusing on the thoughtful responses of Ayo Edebiri, Julia Roberts, and Andrew Garfield, the discussion continues solely on how I should have phrased the question,’ Polidoro said.
She added: ‘All the contributions from those present were reported in full in the published interview, without any omissions.’
Polidoro said that she felt that criticisms of her were flimsy – and bordering on pro-censorship.
‘To date, I am not aware of any protocol that dictates the order in which questions must be asked in an interview,’ Polidoro said. ‘Censoring or delegitimizing questions considered “uncomfortable” does not fall within the practice of democracy.
‘Only the Journalists’ Association is authorized to evaluate the work of professionals in the field, not social media tribunals.’
Polidoro denied she is racist, speaking about her own background when it comes to the topic.
‘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,’ Polidoro said, ‘and my own family is multi-ethnic, matriarchal, and feminist, with a significant history of immigration.’
She continued: ‘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.’
Polidoro wrapped up in explaining her understanding of her profession, saying, ‘Journalism’s role is to ask questions, even on delicate topics, with respect and responsibility.’
She added, ‘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.’
