‘Does anyone care?’: ‘Emily in Paris’ Ashley Park faces backlash for mocking new American Pope

Ashley Park, who stars in the Netflix show Emily in Paris, is receiving a lot of criticism online after she shared a social media post that seemed to make fun of the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first Pope born in America. The situation happened while she was filming the show’s fifth season in Rome, at the same time as the papal election and the public celebrations that followed.

Park’s video, which she posted on social media, showed her and several members of the Emily in Paris production team in Rome. In the video, Park appeared confused and amused by the public excitement over the new Pope’s election. She was with hair and makeup artist Carole Nicolas, hairstylist Parizhair, and producer/content creator Addison O’Connor. At one point, she questioned how important the event was by saying, “Does anyone care?”

The group reacted by laughing and making lighthearted jokes about the situation. Nicolas and O’Connor either joined in or at least did not object to Park’s tone and comments. Nicolas later shared the same video on her own Instagram story. Obviously, people were mad because the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025, was a major global news story.

Emily In Paris production disrespected the new pope on his first day

The video was taken down soon after, but luckily TMZ got it on X. The Pope’s selection as the first American-born Pope drew worldwide attention and led to huge celebrations in St. Peter’s Square. His first words to the crowd were “Peace be with you.” This historic event directly affected the production of Emily in Paris, which was filming scenes in Rome at the time.

The heavy media coverage and large crowds celebrating the new Pope caused major disruptions for Emily in Paris filming. News helicopters covering the event created a lot of noise near the Spanish Steps, where scenes between Lily Collins (who plays Emily) and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (who plays Sylvie) were being shot. The noise caused multiple interruptions, forcing the crew to redo takes repeatedly. The disruptions reportedly lasted for three days.

This background helps explain Park’s video. The scenes they were filming took place during a time of major public excitement and celebration. Many viewers felt that Park either did not understand or did not respect the importance of the event, which is why her video sparked such strong criticism.