Associated Press issues apology to Babyface for cutting interview short. What happened

The Associated Press has apologized to Babyface after an awkward encounter between two of its reporters and the singer on the red carpet at the 2025 Grammy Awards on Sunday.

The two Associated Press reporters were mid-interview with Babyface when one called out to Chappell Roan to try to get her attention — while Babyface was mid-sentence answering one of their questions.

Babyface then asked if the reporters wanted to talk to Roan, who won the award for best new artist at the ceremony. His interview was then cut short and he walked away, according to livestream footage.

The Associated Press said it had apologized to Babyface in a statement posted on X on Monday morning.

“We are deeply sorry for cutting our interview with Babyface short on our YouTube livestream of the Grammys red carpet,” the news outlet said. “We have apologized to him through his representative and to our viewers on the livestream.”

Babyface said “music is bigger than any one moment” in a statement to TODAY.com on Feb. 3.

“The best part of the night was reconnecting with old friends, meeting new artists, and feeling all the love in the room,” he said. “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.”

The full moment was caught on The Associated Press’ livestream, and occurred when reporter Leslie Ambriz asked Babyface a question about the fusion of R&B with other genres like pop, hip-hop and rock.

Babyface had started to answer the question when another reporter, Krysta Fauria, called out “Chappell! Chappell!” into the microphone as the singer made her way down the red carpet behind Babyface.

“I’m so sorry, Babyface,” Ambriz said as she took his microphone and he walked away, before saying “Hello!” as Roan approached them.

The reporters did apologize about two hours later on The Associated Press’ livestream.

“I wanted to say I’m really sorry about interrupting Babyface earlier,” Fauria 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.”

The backlash from fans and celebrities regarding Babyface’s treatment during the interview, however, was swift.

“13x Grammy Award winning Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds? Am I seeing this correctly?” Dionne Warwick wrote in a post on X alongside video of the snub. (Babyface is listed as a 12-time winner on the Grammy website.)

Khloe Kardashian also weighed in on the encounter in a post on X.

“This is so disrespectful how Babyface was treated in this interview,” she said. “Babyface has had such a significant impact on the music industry, in sooo many ways. 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.”

Kardashian cited his decades of work as a songwriter, producer and performer, calling him a “class act.”

“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,” she said.