From Scam Accusations to SNL Apologies: The Dramatic Encounter Between Ayo Edebiri and Jennifer Lopez

They say there’s nothing concealed between the heavens and the internet — and we think Ayo Edebiri learned that lesson the hard way. “The Bear” star had to deal with critical comments she made about Jennifer Lopez four years ago, just before appearing alongside the Latina star on an episode of “Saturday Night Live” last Feb. 03.

However, if anyone has enough experience handling criticism, it’s Jennifer Lopez.

“She came to my dressing room and apologized with tears in her eyes, saying how terrible it was that she had said those things,” Lopez said in an interview with Variety published Tuesday, adding that Edebiri was “mortified” but still “very sweet.”

But what exactly did Ayo Edebiri say about Jennifer Lopez?

Right after it was announced that Edebiri would be hosting the SNL episode in which Lopez would be a musical guest, a very unflattering clip started making the rounds on social media.

It was from a 2020 episode of Laci Mosley’s “Scam Goddess” podcast, where Edibiri said she believed Lopez’s “whole career is one long scam.” She went further to suggest the star didn’t sing her own songs.

The episode aired just before the singer was scheduled to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show.

“Well, that’s the thing. She thinks she’s on multiple tracks, but it’s not her,” Edibiri said about JLo. “I think she thinks that she’s still good even though, like, she’s not singing for most of these songs.”

“A lot of the write-ups of the songs will be like, ‘JLo didn’t have time to make it to the studio,’ like, J.Lo was busy,” she added. “It’s like, ‘Doing what?’ Not singing, obviously.”

Talk about a face-palm moment.

Water under the bridge?

While Ayo Edebiri hasn’t addressed her comments publicly, what she did do was take things on as an adult.

Jennifer Lopez told Variety that Edebiri expressed that she had “felt really badly,” and that she “loved my performance because we had just done my soundcheck and she actually got to hear me perform.”

“She was just like, ‘I’m so f***ing sorry, it was so awful of me,'” Lopez shared of Edebiri’s apology.

While the SNL episode was part of the promotional campaign for Lopez’s new album, “This Is Me… Now,” the show’s writers took the opportunity to highlight the situation. 

During a game show sketch at the beginning of the episode titled “Why’d You Say It,” Edebiri played a contestant who was forced to deal with nasty comments she had made on social media.

“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,” she said in the sketch. “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 added.

For her part, and with the elegance that comes naturally to her, Jennifer Lopez told Variety that Edebiri’s comments really weren’t that big of a deal.

“I’ve heard similar things said about me throughout my career,” she said. “It really didn’t affect me.”

And it seems to be true.

Ten years after her last LP, Jennifer Lopez released the sequel to her 2002 album, along with a Broadway-worthy film production. Hand in hand with the man who inspired her album two decades ago, Lopez celebrates love and a stellar career without fear of “el qué dirán.”