Karla Sofia Gascón, the first openly trans actor nominated for an Oscar, is set to attend the 95th Academy Awards on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Sources confirm that Netflix will cover the costs for Gascón, who is nominated for Best Actress for her performance in the Spanish-language musical Emilia Pérez.
While details of her attendance are still being finalized, it remains unclear whether Gascón will walk the red carpet, participate in interviews, or sit with her co-stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and director Jacques Audiard.
Ahead of the Oscars, Gascón is also scheduled to attend the César Awards in Paris on February 28.
The 2023 awards season for Gascón, however, has been clouded by controversy. The actress came under intense scrutiny after social media posts on X (formerly Twitter) surfaced, in which she made inflammatory comments about Muslims, George Floyd, and diversity at the Oscars. In response to the backlash, Gascón skipped several major award events, including the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, despite being nominated at each.
In the aftermath, Gascón issued an apology, acknowledging the harm caused by her past social media activity. “I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt,” she said in a statement to Variety. “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.”
On February 1, Gascón participated in a nearly hour-long interview with CNN en Español, where she stated that she would no longer comment publicly on the controversy.
Gascón’s Oscar nomination is a historic achievement, making her the first openly trans actor to be recognized in the Best Actress category. She previously made history as the first transgender woman to win the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, a recognition she shared with Saldaña, Gomez, and Adriana Paz. Gascón was also the first trans woman nominated for acting at the Golden Globes. She is represented by UTA.
Director Jacques Audiard has broken his silence regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón, whose Oscar campaign has been marred by the resurfacing of racist and controversial tweets. The director, in a recent interview with Deadline, expressed his disappointment in Gascón’s behavior and distanced himself from the actress, stating that he does not understand why she continues to make decisions that could harm herself and those around her.
“I haven’t spoken to her, and I don’t want to,” Audiard said, emphasizing that he does not feel the need to engage with Gascón, whom he described as being in a “self-destructive” state. He further questioned her motives, saying, “Why is she harming herself? Why? I don’t understand it, and what I don’t understand about this too is why she’s harming people who were very close to her.”
The controversy stems from Gascón’s social media posts from 2020 and 2021, which sparked outrage when they resurfaced in late January. The posts, which addressed sensitive topics such as George Floyd’s death, Muslims, and the COVID-19 pandemic, were widely condemned and led to a significant backlash. Gascón’s actions subsequently undermined her Oscar campaign for Best Actress, and have also impacted Emilia Pérez as a whole. Actress Zoe Saldaña, a frontrunner for Best Supporting Actress, publicly disavowed Gascón’s remarks, and Netflix reportedly distanced itself from the actress, removing her image from promotional materials and not inviting her to upcoming award season events.
Despite the growing fallout, Gascón has continued to defend herself publicly and deactivated accounts online. In an effort to address the damage caused by her statements, she appeared in an interview with CNN in Spanish and posted a lengthy statement on Instagram, asserting that she is not racist. However, Audiard expressed frustration with Gascón’s approach, particularly her victim-blaming rhetoric.
“She’s really playing the victim,” Audiard said. “She’s talking about herself as a victim, which is surprising. It’s as if she thought that words don’t hurt.” He expressed disbelief at her attempts to downplay the gravity of her actions.
In her initial statement following the controversy, Gascón acknowledged the hurt caused by her past posts. “As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well, and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain,” she said. “All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”
While Gascón’s scandal has stolen much of the attention surrounding Emilia Pérez, the film itself has faced its own criticisms. Some members of the Latino community have expressed dissatisfaction with the portrayal of Mexican culture in the film, prompting Audiard to respond. The director defended his creative vision, explaining that Emilia Pérez was intended as an opera rather than a realistic depiction of Mexico. “It seems I’m being attacked in the court of realism. Well, I’ve never claimed that I wanted to make a realistic work,” Audiard said. “If I wanted to make a work that was particularly documented, then I would do a documentary, but then there would be no singing and dancing.”
Audiard further addressed a review that criticized the film for including photocopiers in night markets, a claim he dismissed as misguided. “In night markets in Mexico City, one also doesn’t sing and dance,” he noted. “You have to accept that is part of the magic here. This is an opera, not a criticism of anything about Mexico.”
Emilia Pérez has certainly faced its share of hurdles, but Audiard is steadfast in his commitment to the project. The film’s unique blend of opera, musicality, and emotional depth, according to the director, is central to the story he is telling—one that is not bound by the constraints of realism.
As the controversy continues to unfold, it remains unclear what the future holds for both Emilia Pérez and Gascón’s career. While Audiard has made it clear that he no longer wishes to engage with Gascón, the actress continues to address the fallout from her past statements. Whether the film and its stars can overcome the ongoing scrutiny is yet to be seen, but Audiard remains focused on his artistic vision, confident that his work will be judged on its own terms rather than the controversy surrounding Gascón.
Zoe Saldana, star of Emilia Pérez, addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding her co-star Karla Sofía Gascón during a recent Q&A session in London, calling the situation “really sad.” The fallout from Gascón’s past racist, Islamophobic, and anti-LGBTQ+ social media posts has dominated headlines, prompting Saldana to reflect on the issue publicly for the first time.
Saldana, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, was attending a promotional event for the film, alongside director Jacques Audiard. The conversation shifted to Gascón’s controversial social media posts when Saldana was asked about the situation. While she did not directly mention Gascón by name, her comments offered insight into her feelings about the controversy.
“I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad,” Saldana said. “It makes me really sad because I don’t support and I don’t have any tolerance for any negative rhetoric towards people of any group.”
January 15, 2025, Mexico City, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico: Actress Karla SofÃa Gascon attends the red carpet for Emilia Perez film Premiere at Cinepolis Plaza Carso. on January 15, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. Photo: Ismael Rosas/eyepix via ZUMA Press Wire
The Avatar star continued to emphasize that her personal experience working with the Emilia Pérez cast was centered on inclusivity, collaboration, and respect. “I can only attest to the experience that I had with each and every individual that was a part of this film, and my experience and my interactions with them were about inclusivity and collaboration and racial, cultural, and gender equity,” Saldana explained. “It just saddens me.”
Saldana expressed her gratitude toward those continuing to support the film, despite the public distraction. “It saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now,” she added. “But I’m happy that you’re all here and that you’re still showing up for Emilia Pérez because the message that this film has is so powerful. The change that it can bring forward to communities that are marginalized day in and day out is important.”
She concluded her statement by reaffirming the film’s core message of love, respect, and unity. “All that I can attest is that all of us that came together to tell this story, we came together for love and for respect and curiosity, and we will continue to spread that message. That’s all we can say right now. Thank you.”
The remarks come in the wake of a firestorm sparked by Gascón’s previous social media posts. The actress, who recently made history as the first openly trans woman nominated for an Oscar, has faced severe backlash after controversial tweets from 2021 resurfaced earlier this week. The posts included derogatory comments about Islam, LGBTQ+ communities, and Black Lives Matter, causing widespread outrage among fans, activists, and colleagues alike.
In one of the resurfaced posts, Gascón criticized the Oscars’ diversity efforts, writing, “More and more the #Oscars are looking like a ceremony for independent and protest films. I didn’t know if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration, or the 8M. Apart from that, an ugly, ugly gala.”
Karla Sofía Gascón at the Golden Globes. Photo: CBS
Another post sparked anger when Gascón commented on George Floyd’s death, calling him a “drug addict swindler” and undermining the significance of his death in the fight for racial justice. “I really think that very few people ever cared about George Floyd, a drug addict swindler, but his death has served to once again demonstrate that there are people who still consider Black people to be monkeys without rights,” she wrote.
The controversy expanded when Gascón’s past comments about LGBTQ+ individuals and Muslims were uncovered. In one tweet, she used offensive language to refer to LGBTQ+ people and expressed disdain for their political discourse. In another, she suggested that Islam should be banned, making derogatory remarks about the Muslim community.
As the fallout grew, Gascón deleted her X (formerly Twitter) account and issued a public apology. “I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt. As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain,” she wrote. “All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”
While Gascón’s apology has been met with some attempts at reconciliation, the controversy has cast a shadow over her Oscar campaign and the film Emilia Pérez. Despite the public scrutiny, the film’s message of inclusivity and social change remains central to the ongoing promotion of the project.
Saldana’s comments reflect the complex situation facing Emilia Pérez and its cast, as they balance their commitment to the film’s values with the need to address the fallout from Gascón’s past actions. With the Oscars approaching, the controversy is unlikely to fade quickly, leaving many to wonder how the situation will evolve in the coming weeks.
As the story continues to develop, the film’s campaign team remains focused on spreading the positive message of Emilia Pérez and supporting the film’s underlying themes of unity and progress for marginalized communities.
