The Associated Press (AP) has issued an apology after two of its reporters cut off Babyface to speak to Chappell Roan during an interview at the Grammys 2025.
Leslie Ambriz and Krysta Fauria were talking to the singer-songwriter and producer – real name Kenneth Brian Edmonds – at last Sunday’s ceremony (February 2), which was held at LA’s Crypto.com Arena.
Midway through one of Babyface’s answers, Fauria interrupted by shouting “Chappell! Chappell!” after spotting Roan arriving on the red carpet. In response, Babyface said: “You guys wanna do that? Go and do that.”
He quickly handed back the microphone and walked away, with Ambriz offering a brief apology. The AP interviewers then began a conversation with the ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ singer, who would go on to win the Best New Artist award at the ceremony.
AP interviewers cut off Babyface to interview Chappell Roan instead at the #GRAMMYs red carpet. https://t.co/nefWcJC4hT
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 2, 2025
A clip of the awkward moment has since gone viral online, with some calling the reporters’ behaviour “disrespectful”, “unprofessional” and “rude”. Khloé Kardashian even tweeted about it, writing: “[Babyface] is a pioneer and deserves so much better than this.”
She added: “By the way – what a class act you are. 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.”
Elsewhere, Dionne Warwick responded to the viral interview clip. She wrote: “13x Grammy Award winning Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds? Am I seeing this correctly?”
Fauria did apologise on-air during AP‘s Grammys red carpet live-stream, telling viewers: “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, as are we all. And so I just wanted to say that I really apologise.”
she apologized y'all😭 https://t.co/dlieoMeBjb pic.twitter.com/QlCf2apHuF
— 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆🫧💚 (@beyoncegarden) February 3, 2025
Later, AP issued an apology on its official X/Twitter profile. “We are deeply sorry for cutting our interview with Babyface short on our YouTube livestream of the Grammys red carpet,” it began.
“We have apologised to him through his representative and to our viewers on the livestream.”
In a statement to TMZ about the incident, Babyface explained that there were no hard feelings. “It’s all love,” he told the outlet.
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.
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 3, 2025
“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.”
He added: “Music is bigger than any one moment. Much love to everyone who won and everyone out here making great music.”
Babyface has won 12 Grammys for his performance and production work in total, and has earned a huge 54 nominations overall.
This year, Chappell Roan was also in the running for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Solo Performance (‘Good Luck, Babe!’), Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album (‘The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess’).
During her Best New Artist acceptance speech, Roan called on record labels to “treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection”. She concluded: “Labels, we got you. But do you got us?”
Additionally, the pop star delivered a live performance of ‘Pink Pony Club’ atop a giant pink horse at the awards show.
In other Grammys 2025 news, Kanye West has responded to rumours about him being kicked out of this year’s event while Benson Boone has apologised for his “aggressive” crotch grab during his performance at the ceremony.
Elsewhere, Kasey Musgraves’ team has hit back at claims that the singer appeared to be throwing shade at Beyoncé after ‘Cowboy Carter’ won the Best Country Album award over Musgraves’ ‘Deeper Well’.