People Thought Aimee Lou Wood Was Sobbing Over That SNL Debacle, But She Opened Up About The Incident

Aimee looking shocked after hearing about the Ratliff's 3-way.
(Image credit: HBO)

Saturday Night Live caused quite a stir after its latest episode dropped this past weekend. As SNL 50 guest host Jon Hamm headlined the proceedings, there was a White Lotus-inspired sketch. A number of the characters from the HBO show were spoofed, including Aimee Lou Wood’s Chelsea – who Sarah Sherman lampooned by wearing false teeth. Wood spoke out about the sketch and expressed her dissatisfaction with it and, now, the British actress is setting the record straight on whether she was “crying” over it.

Earlier this week, paparazzi captured photos of Aimee Lou Wood crying while out and about in South London. Snapshots showed her shedding tears, as a friend held her. At the time, it was believed that Wood was sobbing due to having been lampooned on SNL, but it would seem that’s not actually the case. The star took to her Instagram stories to address the speculation and, apparently, it would seem there’s been a misunderstanding. She cleared the air while thanking British radio host Ashley Louise James for her words of support:

Just to say, I actually wasn’t crying about anything that the papers made out. I was crying about 😂 something completely unrelated.

The Sex Education star didn’t specify the actual cause of the tears but, even though Saturday Night Live didn’t contribute to the situation, she still didn’t hold back on the sketch. Over the weekend, she posted her thoughts on Instagram and called the segment – titled “The White Potus” – “mean and unfunny.” She also expressed her belief that there was a more nuanced way to have spoofed her character. Nevertheless, she also said that she’d received “apologies” from SNL, and she’s since defended Sarah Sherman from backlash.

In “The White Potus,” U.S. President Donald Trump, members of his family and other political officials attend a resort amid the institution of his tariffs. Each of the characters in the pre-taped sketch are meant to parallel those in the third season of White Lotus (which can be streamed with a Max subscription). Sarah Sherman’s version of Chelsea comes into play when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (played by Jon Hamm) talks to her about the effects of removing fluoride from drinking water. With that, Sherman’s character asks what fluoride is.

Earlier this month, The White Lotus Season 3 ended on a bombastic note and proved to be one of the most talked-about shows of the 2025 TV schedule. Aimee Lou Wood also received considerable praise for her portrayal of the free-spirited Chelsea. When sharing his own take on Wood’s performance, CinemaBlend’s own Corey Chichizola called her a scene-stealer.

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You can check out Saturday Night Live's various seasons on Peacock. The streamer costs little as $7.99 a month for the basic tier. However,you can also pay more for Peacock Premium, which gives you access to ad-free streams and presents the option of downloading titles to watch offline later.

It seems that Aimee Lou Wood appreciates the support she’s received from fans since she revealed her feelings about SNL’s sketch. She actually reposted more than a few of their responses on social media. Amid that, though, it’s understandable as to why she would want to set the record straight on the photos of her crying.

A new episode of Saturday Night Live is set to air on May 3, with Quinta Brunson hosting and Benson Boone serving as musical guest. In the meantime, you can stream episodes of the sketch comedy series using a Peacock subscription.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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