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Aimee Lou Wood Breaks Silence After She Was Photographed Crying Following ‘Mean’ ‘SNL’ Sketch
White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood broke her silence about the reason she was photographed crying after calling out Saturday Night Live for a “mean” sketch making fun of her looks.
“I actually wasn’t crying about anything that the papers made out,” Aimee, 31, wrote in an Instagram Story on Tuesday, April 15, after paparazzi photos emerged the day prior of the actress openly weeping and collapsing into a friend’s arms while out in London.
She added, “I was crying about something completely unrelated,” along with a laughing emoji.
Aimee’s comment appeared on a repost from an Instagram Story by British radio host Ashley Louise James. The Sex Education alum thanked Ashley, 38,for putting SNL on notice for their “cruelty.”
“Absolutely devastating to see another brilliant and talented actress reduced to tears because of people tearing into their appearance,” Ashley wrote after seeing photos of Aimee crying and believing it to be because of the SNL White Lotus parody sketch that mocked the actress’ gap teeth.
“Women truly can’t win. Embrace their natural beauty — get ripped apart. Alter their appearance to fit the very narrow ideals of beauty — get crucified. @aimeelouwood you are so beautiful. But more than that, you’re an incredibly talented actor. A true talent. Shame on SNL for their cruelty. I’m so glad you spoke up,” Ashley added.
Aimee was appalled by the “White Potus” sketch that opened SNL on April 12. In the sketch, Sarah Sherman wore oversized fake teeth to portray Aimee’s season 3 character of Chelsea.
“I did find the SNL thing mean and unfunny,” the Manchester, England, native wrote in an Instagram Story on April 13.
Aimee went on to share several supportive posts from her pals, including Cara Delevingne and Georgia May Jagger, who praised their friend’s natural beauty.
Later that day Aimee wrote in a follow-up Story, “Last thing I’ll say on this matter. I’m not thin-skinned. I love being taken the piss out of when it’s clever and in good spirits.”
“But the joke was about fluoride. I have big gap teeth, not bad teeth. I don’t mind caricature — I understand that’s what SNL is. But the rest of the skit was punching up and I/Chelsea was the only one punched down on,” she added.
Aimee’s White Lotus costar Walton Goggins — who played Chelsea’s boyfriend Rick Hatchett — fueled speculation that the pair was feuding after he praised the skit. SNL host Jon Hamm played Robert F. Kennedy in the parody, while using Rick’s mannerisms and wardrobe in his scene with Sarah’s Chelsea.
Walton, 53, shared an Instagram Reel of the “White Potus” skit, calling it “smashing.” He told Jon, 54, “I knew I was miscast.”
While the Justified star later deleted the Reel, his comment on SNL‘s Instagram post about the sketch remained. He responded in the comments, “Hahahahahhahaha Amazzzingggg.”
Fans flooded Walton’s response by calling him out for not standing up for Aimee, especially after she said how much the skit hurt her feelings.
One user told the actor, “@waltongogginsbonafide have your girl’s back!” A second person wrote, “@waltongogginsbonafide guess you really are feuding with Aimee. She’s said it was mean and you’re saying it’s amazing!” A third fan wrote, “@waltongogginsbonafide disappointing response given its upset your costar.”
Walton fueled feud rumors when he quit following Aimee on Instagram after the White Lotus season 3 finale aired on April 6. It appeared The Righteous Gemstones star also may have blocked her, as Aimee’s comments were no longer visible on his page.
Aimee subsequently stopped following Walton on Instagram as well. Neither star has responded to rumors about bad blood after the finale aired, but the On the Edge actress explained how she felt relief being able to finally let go of Chelsea.
“I think both of us are feeling a similar thing today of, ‘OK I can let go of the parts of this character, of Chelsea, that have been holding me back and I can grow up in the way that Chelsea couldn’t.’ And at the same time, all the bits that I love about her, I can take with me,” Aimee told The Hollywood Reporter on April 7.
“So, there’s this weird feeling today of rebirth, and I’m sure that Walton feels the same about Rick because it’s like, whatever the f–k was going on in him, that was Rick, and he can let go of it now. Like Chelsea says, ‘You’re free. It’s a new day.’ And it’s true. It feels like today is the first new day that I’ve had in a very long time,” she added.
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