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"The White Lotus" star Aimee Lou Wood has publicly denounced Saturday Night Live's recent parody of the hit HBO series, describing it as "mean and unfunny." The 31-year-old actress took to Instagram on Sunday to express her disappointment with the sketch that aired on April 12.
"I did find the SNL thing mean and unfunny," Wood wrote via her Instagram Story. She added, "Such a shame cuz I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago. Yes, take the piss for sure—that's what the show is about—but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way?"
The controversial sketch, titled "White Potus," featured SNL cast members portraying season 3 characters with a political twist. Host Jon Hamm played Walton Goggins' character Rick as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while cast member Sarah Sherman portrayed Wood's character Chelsea with exaggerated teeth.
According to CBS News, the sketch referenced Kennedy's stance against community water fluoridation, which has been implemented in public water supplies for decades to prevent tooth decay. In the skit, Hamm's character asks about removing fluoride from drinking water, to which Sherman's Chelsea responds with wide eyes, "Fluoride? What's that?"
Wood later shared supportive messages from fans who agreed with her assessment. One fan pointed out that while other characters represented political figures being mocked, Chelsea was the only non-political character in the parody. "They were clearly just taking the piss out of your appearance," the fan wrote, to which Wood responded, "Correct."
Another supporter criticized Sherman's attempt at a Mancunian accent as "terrible." Wood replied, "At least get the accent right, seriously. I respect accuracy even if it's mean."
Hours after sharing her initial reaction, Wood revealed that she had "received apologies from SNL," though she didn't disclose specific details about the communication or who had reached out.
The controversy comes amid speculation about behind-the-scenes tension on "The White Lotus" set. Co-star Jason Isaacs previously made comments to The Guardian about "alliances that formed and broke, romances that formed and broke, friendships that formed and broke," fueling rumors about Wood and Goggins, who played love interests on the show.
Isaacs later walked back his statements on SiriusXM's TODAY Show Radio, saying, "All these amateur Sherlock Holmes out there... Nobody has the slightest clue what they're talking about."
Wood has previously spoken about embracing her natural appearance, telling Stylist in 2020 that she received "hundreds" of supportive messages from fans who appreciated seeing someone with similar features on television.
