Ashley Padilla on Writing a Book With Diane Keaton, Staying Off Social Media and Becoming an ‘SNL’ Breakout Star: ‘I Assumed People Would Go, We Hate Her!’

Article excerpt

Ashley Padilla learned she'd been hired as a featured player on Saturday Night Live while shopping with her mother at an outdoor mall in Glendale in September 2024. The news came as she was promoting a new book, "Fashion First," co-written with her former boss Diane Keaton. In an interview, Padilla discusses her unexpected SNL success, her decision to avoid social media, and how she braced for audience rejection, admitting she assumed viewers would dismiss her outright. Her rapid ascent from book collaborator to late-night breakout star marks a striking career turn.