In an interview with Variety, Sarah Hagi (@KindaHagi) discusses the Karla Sofía Gascón backlash, the accusations of being a “studio plant,” and why she believes the Academy must act. https://t.co/3fTySRDqGt via @variety
— Clayton Davis (@ByClaytonDavis) February 3, 2025
Karla Sofía Gascón, the Oscar-nominated star of “Emilia Pérez,” has found herself at the center of a controversy due to her past posts on social media. The actress, who made history as the first transgender performer to be nominated for the best actress Oscar, is now apologizing for tweets that denigrated Islam and made insensitive comments about George Floyd. In a statement released through Netflix, Gascón expressed remorse for her actions.
You could charitably say that the past few days have been pretty bad for the Oscar chances of Karla Sofía Gascón and Emilia Pérez. Just how bad? I speculate a bit over at Awards Radar: @AwardsRadar #KarlaSofíaGascón #EmiliaPérez https://t.co/1O9Y1ynRIo
— Joey Magidson (@JoeyMagidson) February 3, 2025
She said, “As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”
The controversy began when old posts from Gascón’s X account resurfaced this week.
Karla Sofía Gascón continues to speak out, giving an interview to CNN where she denies she ever called Selena Gomez “a rich rat” in an old tweet. “Of course that’s not mine. I would never refer to her that way.” https://t.co/zsdK3EGEah
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) February 2, 2025
Some of the tweets, dating back to 2016, criticized Muslims’ dress, language, and culture in her native Spain. She even suggested that Islam be banned. In addition to her comments about Islam, Gascón also made insensitive remarks about George Floyd less than a month after his death in 2020.
She referred to Floyd as a drug addict who “very few people ever cared” for.
Gascón addresses controversial past tweets
Floyd’s death at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer sparked widespread protests and renewed conversations about racism.
As a result of the backlash, Gascón has deactivated her X account. She stated, “I can no longer allow this campaign of hate and misinformation to affect neither my family nor me anymore, so at their request I am closing my account on X.”
Netflix, which distributes “Emilia Pérez,” has not yet commented on the situation. The streaming giant will likely be hoping that the controversy does not derail the film’s Oscar chances.
Gascón, who was a regular in Mexican telenovelas before transitioning in 2018, plays a complex role in “Emilia Pérez.” Her character is both a menacing cartel kingpin and the woman who emerges after the kingpin fakes his own death. The film follows her character’s journey to reunite with her wife (played by Selena Gomez) and their children, with the help of the lawyer who facilitated her transition (played by Zoe Saldaña). This is not the first time that old tweets have come back to haunt celebrities.
James Gunn, Trevor Noah, and Blake Shelton have all faced similar situations in the past. However, each has managed to rebound from the controversy. Gunn was rehired to direct the third “Guardians of the Galaxy” film for Marvel and the upcoming “Superman” reboot, Noah is hosting this weekend’s Grammy Awards, and Shelton was a coach on NBC’s “The Voice” for years.
As Gascón navigates this difficult situation, it remains to be seen how it will impact her career and the success of “Emilia Pérez” at the Oscars.
