Aimee Lou Wood Slams SNL over 'White Lotus' Parody, Calls Sketch Mean-Spirited

Aimee Lou Wood Takes Aim at SNL's White Lotus Sketch

There's a difference between poking fun and picking on someone, and that's exactly what Aimee Lou Wood believes Saturday Night Live got wrong in their recent parody of her White Lotus role. The British actress, who played Mia, the feisty and ambitious musician on the HBO hit, has publicly blasted SNL's send-up, saying it was more mean-spirited than clever. Fans caught wind of her reaction just days after the skit aired, sparking a fresh debate about where comedy crosses the line.

Wood didn't mince words—she called the sketch 'mean' and 'unfunny.' According to her, the bit wasn't just taking aim at her character's quirks or plotlines, but was personal, zooming in on how she looked and behaved beyond what viewers saw onscreen. For Wood, this kind of parody doesn't feel like a wink and a nudge. It stings, and makes the whole thing feel less like satire and more like mockery.

SNL's Response: Apology and Reflection

As news spread about Wood's disappointment, Sarah Sherman—a standout SNL cast member known for her own offbeat humor—stepped forward. She admitted she 'felt terrible' about the reaction. Sherman took it a step further, confessing that the writers and cast might've overstepped by leaning too hard into poking fun at personal details, rather than sticking to the playful ribbing that audiences usually expect from the late-night show.

The apology strikes a nerve because SNL lives and dies by its parodies. The crew has always thrived on walking that line between edgy and just mean. But sometimes, as Sherman herself acknowledged, jokes can come out harsher than planned—especially when they're not just lampooning a character, but the actor behind them too.

The White Lotus, with its cast of sharply-written oddballs, already has plenty for comedians to roast. But for Wood, the SNL version twisted what she brought to the screen into something unrecognizable—trading nuance for a mean punchline. The quick public apology shows SNL pays attention to feedback, but it's clear that even in a sketch show built on parody, not everyone is ready to accept every joke as 'just a joke.'