Grammys Fans Slam Reporters for Dismissing Babyface Mid-Interview to Talk to Chappell Roan

Two reporters are facing backlash after they appeared to snub Babyface during an interview on the 2025 Grammy’s red carpet. Associated Press reporters Leslie Ambriz and Krysta Fauria are being slammed as “disrespectful” after they cut off the 65-year-old Grammy winner midway through an interview to instead speak to Chappell Roan.

The two reporters began the interview by declaring Babyface, real name Kenneth Edmonds, a “legend,” and went on to discuss how the Los Angeles fires have united the community and how music helped the musician through the difficult time. As the discussion transitioned to the topic of artists bending genres with their music, and as Babyface was mid-answer, he was cut off by Fauria, who noticed the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer behind them. As Fauria began calling Roan’s name, Babyface handed the microphone back to Ambriz and asked, “You guys wanna do that? Go do that,” before leaving.

The incident went viral on social media, and generated plenty of backlash, with one person writing, “my jaw literally dropped like that was so rude.” Another viewer demanded, “Hello @AP we need that apology to Babyface, to be as loud as the disrespect he got from those unprofessional, rude reporters of yours.”

Celebrities also spoke out on the snub, with Khloé Kardashian slamming the “disrespectful” interaction. In a lengthy post shared to X, the reality star noted that the musician “has had such a significant impact on the music industry, in sooo many ways,” and said, “Its maddening to see a LEGEND not get the respect and attention they deserve. He is a pioneer and deserves so much better than this.”

Dionne Warwick also commented on the interview, asking on X, “13x Grammy Award winning Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds? Am I seeing this correctly?” In a follow-up post, Warwick tagged AP and added a screenshot of a dictionary definition of “decorum.”

Amid the backlash, Ambriz apologized during the AP’s livestream, sharing, “I’m really sorry about interrupting Babyface earlier. Chappell Roan had come up and there was a lot of commotion, as there is on these carpets, but I’m a big Babyface fan and so I just wanted to say that I really apologize.”

The AP also issued an apology on X, reading, “We are deeply sorry for cutting our interview with Babyface short on our YouTube livestream of the Grammys red carpet. We have apologized to him through his representative and to our viewers on the livestream.”

Addressing the incident in a statement emailed Sunday to USA TODAY by representative Ernest Dukes, Babyface said, “The best part of the night was reconnecting with old friends, meeting new artists, and feeling all the love in the room. That’s what I’ll remember. That’s what it’s really about. Music is bigger than any one moment. Much love to everyone who won and everyone out here making great music.”