Reporters issue apology after 'rude and unprofessional' moment during Babyface interview on Grammys red carpet

Two reporters found themselves in hot water after cutting off legendary producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds mid-sentence during a red-carpet interview at the 2025 Grammys — to instead speak with rising pop star Chappell Roan.

Babyface attends the 67th Grammy Awards. Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty

The moment, which quickly went viral on social media platforms, was widely slammed on by fans and celebrities alike.

Even Grammy-winning icon Dionne Warwick weighed in, posting a clip of the incident on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption: “13x Grammy Award winning Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds? Am I seeing this correctly?”

The clip shows Babyface mid-answer when one of the Associated Press reporters, Leslie Ambriz, suddenly calls out, “Chappell!” — interrupting the conversation entirely.

The 65-year-old music pioneer hands the microphone back and graciously says, “Go do that,” before walking away.

Ambriz and her co-host Krysta Fauria scrambled to recover, with Ambriz offering a quick apology while Fauria immediately turned her attention to Roan. But the damage was done, and social media erupted.

Backlash from Fans and Celebrities

Social media users were quick to share their unimpressed thoughts.

"That was hella rude and unprofessional. Showed no respect to Babyface whatsoever. Horrible interviewers," tweeted one viewer, with another adding: "Omg he was in the middle of saying something they were so rude for that."

A third tweeted: "This is disgusting and they really need to be careful who they choose to be interviewers."

Others highlighted the racial insensitivity given that the blunder took place during Black History Month.

Celebs also weighed in on the situation. Khloé Kardashian was one of many who condemned the incident, calling it “so disrespectful.”

She defended Babyface’s legacy, writing on X: “Babyface has had such a significant impact on the music industry, in sooo many ways. It’s maddening to see a LEGEND not get the respect and attention they deserve. He is a pioneer and deserves so much better than this.”

Actor Eric West didn’t hold back either, blasting the reporters for their handling of the situation.

He wrote: “When you don’t know how to do your job! Babyface is a legend! 40 years strong. They should have introduced Babyface to Chappell Roan for a seamless transition. Super easy to say ‘Babyface, have you met Chappell?!’”

Public Apology from Reporters

Realizing the backlash, Fauria took a moment to apologize while still on the red carpet. Standing alongside Ambriz and fellow journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton, she addressed the camera directly.

“I’m really sorry about interrupting Babyface earlier,” she said. “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 as are we all, so I just wanted to say that I really apologize.”

Kardashian, however, made it clear that apologies aside, the situation should have been handled differently. “By the way—what a class act you are,” she praised Babyface, before adding some pointed advice for the reporters: “PS big or small, old or new—you don’t treat people like this.

"At least not in my eyes. There’s a way to handle this and this was wrong in my opinion.”

Chappell Roan was apparently a more popular choice of interviewee. Credit: Maya Dehlin Spach / Getty

Despite the controversy, Babyface kept it classy, walking away from the awkward moment with the same grace and humility that have defined his decades-long career.

Who Won At The 2025 Grammys?

Winner: Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us

Beyoncé - Texas Hold 'Em

Sabrina Carpenter - Please Please Please

Billie Eilish - Birds Of A Feather

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - Die With a Smile

Chappel Roan - Good Luck, Babe!

Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)

Taylor Swift ft Post Malone - Fortnight

Winner: Chappell Roan

Benson Boone

Sabrina Carpenter

Doechii

Khruangbin

Raye

Shaboozey

Teddy Swims

Winner: Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

Beyoncé - Bodyguard

Charli XCX - Apple

Billie Eilish - Birds of a Feather

Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe!

Winner: Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet

Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard And Soft

Ariana Grande - Eternal Sunshine

Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department

Winner: Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - Die With A Smile

Gracie Abrams ft Taylor Swift - Us

Beyoncé ft Post Malone - Levii's Jeans

Charli XCX & Billie Eilish - Guess

Ariana Grande, Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine

Winner: The Beatles - Now And Then

The Black Keys - Beautiful People (Stay High)

Green Day - The American Dream Is Killing Me

Idles - Gift Horse

Pearl Jam - Dark Matter

St. Vincent - Broken Man

Winner: St Vincent - Broken Man

The Black Keys - Beautiful People (Stay High)

Pearl Jam - Dark Matter

Green Day - Dilemma

Idles - Gift Horse

Winner: Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us

Cardi B - Enough (Miami)

Common & Pete Rock ft Posdnuos - When The Sun Shines Again

Doechii - Nissan Altima

Eminem - Houdini

Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar - Like That

GloRilla - Yeah Glo!

Winner: Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us

Rapsody ft Hit-Boy - Asteroids

Kanye West & Ty Dolla $Ign - Carnival

Future & Metro Boomin ft Kendrick Lamar - Like That

GloRilla - Yeah Glo!

Winner: Doechii - Alligator Bites Never Heal

J Cole - Might Delete Later

Common & Pete Rock - The Auditorium, Vol 1

Eminem - The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)

Future & Metro Boomin - We Don't Trust You

Winner: Chris Stapleton - It Takes A Woman

Beyoncé - 16 Carriages

Jelly Roll - I Am Not Okay

Kacey Musgraves - The Architect

Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)

Winner: Kacey Musgraves - The Architect

Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)

Jelly Roll - I Am Not Okay

Post Malone ft Morgan Wallen - I Had Some Help

Beyoncé - Texas Hold 'Em

Winner: Beyoncé ft Miley Cyrus - II Most Wanted

Kelsea Ballerini With Noah Kahan - Cowboys Cry Too

Brothers Osborne - Break Mine

Dan + Shay - Bigger Houses

Post Malone ft Morgan Wallen - I Had Some Help

Winner: Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter

Post Malone - F-1 Trillion

Kacey Musgraves - Deeper Well

Chris Stapleton - Higher

Lainey Wilson - Whirlwind

Winner: Muni Long - Made For Me (Live On BET)

Jhené Aiko - Guidance

Chris Brown - Residuals

Coco Jones - Here We Go (Uh Oh)

SZA - Saturn

Winner: SZA - Saturn

Kehlani - After Hours

Tems - Burning

Coco Jones - Here We Go (Uh Oh)

Muni Long - Ruined Me

Winner: Chris Brown - 11:11 (Deluxe)

Lalah Hathaway - Vantablack

Muni Long - Revenge

Lucky Daye - Algorithm

Usher - Coming Home

Winner: Charli XCX - Von Dutch

Madison Beer - Make You Mine

Billie Eilish - L’Amour de Ma Vie [Over Now Extended Edit]

Ariana Grande - Yes, And?

Troye Sivan - Got Me Started

Winner: Justice & Tame Impala - Neverender

Disclosure - She's Gone, Dance On

Four Tet - Loved

Fred Again & Baby Keem - Leavemealone

Kaytranada ft Childish Gambino - Witchy

Winner: Charli XCX - Brat

Four Tet - Three

Justice - Hyperdrama

Kaytranada - Timeless

Zedd - Telos

Winner: Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter

André 3000 - New Blue Sun

Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet

Charli XCX - Brat

Jacob Collier - Djesse Vol 4

Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft

Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department

Winner: Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us

The Beatles - Now And Then

Beyoncé - Texas Hold 'Em

Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

Charli XCX - 360

Billie Eilish - Birds of a Feather

Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe!

Taylor Swift ft Post Malone - Fortnight

Featured image credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty