'SNL' host Ayo Edebiri acknowledges J. Lo trash talk, questions surprise guest Nikki Haley
Feb. 4 (UPI) --The Bear Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri seemed to acknowledge mocking Jennifer Lopez's singing and acting talent on the Scam Goddess podcast four years ago, while hosting this weekend's edition of Saturday Night Live for which Lopez was the musical guest.
Comments Edebiri made about Lopez's music career being "one long scam" resurfaced days before the women were to work together on SNL, prompting media speculation about whether there would be tension on the set.
Edebiri, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman and Andrew Dismukes appeared on the faux game show, Why'd You Say It?, as fictional contestants challenged to answer questions about comments they made on social media.
Kenan Thompson played the game show's host, Danny Donnigan, and asked Edebiri's character Annie why she remarked, "Die!" on an adorable video of Drew Barrymore.
After the contestants all admitted to making eyebrow-raising remarks online just to get attention, Edebiri's Annie dramatically declared: "OK! OK! We get it.
"It's wrong to leave mean comments or post comments just for clout or run your mouth on a podcast and you don't consider the impact because you're 24 and stupid. But I think I speak for everyone when I say from now on we're going to be a lot more thoughtful about what we post online."
She then hung her head.
But Donnigan said he didn't believe her good intentions because she left a mean comment about him and his toddler son just two minutes earlier.
"I cannot change," she said.
Edebiri also appeared in a send-up of a CNN town hall event in South Carolina with former President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson), who is seeking the Republican nomination for a rematch against Democrat incumbent Joe Biden in November.
Fielding questions, Johnson's Trump was met face to face with the real former South Carolina Gov. and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley who wanted to know why he wouldn't debate her as she challenges him for the Republican nomination for president.
"Oh, my God! It's her. The woman who was in charge of security on Jan. 6 [2021]," the fake Trump said. "It's Nancy Pelosi."
"Are you doing OK, Donald? You might need a mental competency test," Haley said, to which Johnson's Trump replied: "I aced the test. Perfect score. They said I was 100 percent mental."
Edebiri was allowed to ask the last question of the event, "What would you say was the main cause of the Civil War and do you think it starts with an 's' and ends in a 'lavery'?"
"Yeah, but I probably should have said that the first time. Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" Haley said with a smile.
Lopez also performed her songs "This is Me...Now" and "Can't Get Enough" on the show.
The comment was in response to criticism she recently got for omitting slavery when explaining the causes of the 19th century conflict during a campaign stop in New Hampshire.