Ayo Edebiri may find Saturday Night Live uncomfortable due to resurfaced insults about Jennifer Lopez’s career.
Before starring in The Bear, 28-year-old Ayo Edebiri, in a 2020 podcast on “Scam Goddess,” discussed Linda Taylor’s welfare scam. In conversation with host Laci Mosley, Edebiri asserted that Jennifer Lopez’s entire career was “one long scam.”
“Well, that’s the thing. She thinks she’s on multiple tracks, but it’s not her,” Edebiri explained at the time. “I think she thinks that she’s still good even though she’s not singing for most of these songs.”
Edebiri admitted to being “fascinated” by Lopez songs allegedly featuring other artists’ vocals instead of hers. The Emmy winner shared that this curiosity led her to “read up” on other similar cases.
“A lot of the write-ups of the songs will be like, ‘J. Lo didn’t have time to make it to the studio,’ like J. Lo was busy,” Edebiri said. “It’s like, ‘Doing what?’ Not singing, obviously!”
Fast-forward four years, Ayo Edebiri is set to host the February 3rd episode of SNL with Jennifer Lopez as the musical guest.
Before the episode, Ayo Edebiri, Jennifer Lopez, and cast member Heidi Gardner united to promote the upcoming SNL show.
“I’m really excited, I love your show,” Lopez said to Edebiri during one promo teaser on Friday, February 2. Edebiri replied, “I love your everything.”
Both Jennifer Lopez and Ayo Edebiri have remained silent on the 2020 comments, not addressing the past remarks.
Since Edebiri’s podcast appearance, her career has flourished. Last month, she achieved a significant milestone by winning her first Emmy for her role in The Bear.
“I’m so incredibly grateful for this for so many reasons. But the main one, this is a show about family and found family and real family,” Edebiri said during her acceptance speech. “My parents are here tonight. I’m making them sit kind of far away from me because I’m a bad kid. But I love you guys so much.”
Despite earning praise, Ayo Edebiri faced criticism for candid movie reviews on Letterboxd. Brushing off the backlash, she emphasized that her comments were all in good fun.
“I’m a comedian. Anything I say online, I think I would say to somebody’s face,” she told reporters following the Emmy Awards in January. “I have a Letterboxd [account] because I love movies, I love TV, I love this industry. I know how hard it is to make something. I respect everything that’s ever been made.”