Ayo Edebiri Says #MeToo and Black Lives Matter Aren’t Dead After Interviewer Asks Only Her White Co-Stars Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield to Respond: ‘I Don’t Know If That’s Purposeful That’s Not for Me’

Ayo Edebiri is being praised on social media for how she handled an uncomfortable interview moment while promoting her new movie, “After the Hunt,” at the Venice Film Festival. “The Bear” Emmy winner was joined by co-stars Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield for a chat with ArtsLife TV, but the interviewer only asked Roberts and Garfield to weigh in on the status of Black Lives Matter and #MeToo in Hollywood.

The interviewer asked Garfield and Roberts what “to expect in Hollywood after the #MeToo movement and the Black Lives Matter are done.” Roberts was instantly puzzled and responded: “Can you repeat that? And with your sunglasses on, I can’t tell which of us you’re talking to.” The interviewer said again that her question was for Garfield and Roberts. She wanted to know their thoughts on Hollywood now that the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements “are done.” The interviewer also asked if “if we lost something with the politically correct era.”

“I know that that’s not for me, and I don’t know if it’s purposeful if it’s not for me… I don’t think it’s done,” a visibly-shocked Edebiri interjected. “I don’t think it’s done at all. 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 active for a reason because this world’s really charged. And that work isn’t finished at all.”

Garfield supported Edebiri by saying both “movements are still absolutely alive,” with Edebiri adding: “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.”

Edebiri, Garfield and Roberts star in Luca Guadanino’s “After the Hunt,” which received divisive responses after its Venice world premiere. The film tackles the #MeToo movement head on by centering on a college professor (Roberts) who must face her past after her star student (Edebiri) accuses one of her university colleagues (Garfield) of sexual assault.

“After the Hunt” is set to open the New York Film Festival later this month before opening in theaters Oct. 10 from Amazon MGM.