*Netflix is distancing itself from “Emilia Pérez” star Karla Sofía Gascón following backlash over past social media posts that were deemed Islamophobic and racist.
“Emilia Pérez,” a musical and crime drama about a Mexican drug trafficker seeking gender reassignment surgery, has earned 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, with Gascón making history as the first openly trans-identifying male nominated for Best Actress. She was initially scheduled to attend key events as part of her Oscars campaign but will now miss them as Netflix has stopped covering Gascón’s travel and styling expenses during award season, Variety reports.
Despite apologizing for her comments, Gascón has been managing the fallout on her own, without the support of Netflix or her PR team. Sources indicate that communication between Gascón, Netflix, and her PR firm has ceased, with all interactions now handled through her United Talent Agency representative.
In response to the situation, Gascón posted on Instagram, tagging multiple publications, and said, “They want to subject me to ‘cancel culture,’” she wrote. “I ask the Hollywood experts, the journalists who know me and have followed my career — How can I move forward?”
Gascón remains committed to her Oscar campaign amid the criticism and has no plans to withdraw, CNN reports.
Scroll to continue reading
This week, ‘Emilia Pérez’ star Karla Sofía Gascón was expected to fly in to Los Angeles from her home in Spain for a busy week awards campaigning https://t.co/jGk2e0Y6H1 pic.twitter.com/tksUVQLG3H
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 4, 2025
The controversy erupted after writer Sarah Hagi published screenshots of offensive posts from Gascón’s now-deactivated X account. In response, “Emilia Pérez” co-star Zoe Saldaña stated, “I do not support any negative rhetoric of racism and bigotry towards any group of people.”
In a CNN interview, Gascón apologized for her racist rhetoric and denied making a scathing 2022 tweet about fellow co-star Selena Gomez, in which she reportedly called the actress a “rich rat” amid her rumored feud with model Hailey Bieber.
“Emilia Pérez” director Jacques Audiard condemned Gascón’s tweets in an interview with Deadline.
“It’s very hard for me to think back to the work I did with Karla Sofía. The trust we shared, the exceptional atmosphere that we had on the set that was indeed based on trust,” he said.
“And when you have that kind of relationship and suddenly you read something that that person has said, things that are absolutely hateful and worthy of being hated, of course that relationship is affected. It’s as if you fall into a hole. Because what Karla Sofía said is inexcusable,” Audiard continued.
Audiard has faced his own criticism over past statements about the Spanish language and the depiction of Mexican cartels in the film. In a video published in August, he told the French publication Konbini that “Spanish is a language of developing countries, it’s a language of countries of few means, of poor people, of migrants…”
Emilia Pérez, a musical about a drug lord who decides he wants plastic surgery to “transition” to a woman, has now received thirteen Oscar nominations and four Golden Globes, and marks the first time a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards has gone to a man – Carlos… pic.twitter.com/DjdpAlyLCz
— Genevieve Gluck (@WomenReadWomen) January 24, 2025
The filmmaker claims the reception of his statement contrasted with the point he was trying to make.
“Spanish is such a rich language that crosses borders. What’s been said about my statement is actually exactly the opposite of what I think. I worked five years on this film and for it to now be denigrated in this way, it’s really simply too much.”
Audiard acknowledged that the situation with Gascón had affected their professional relationship and noted that she needs space to reflect on her actions.
“I’m not getting in touch with her because right now she needs space to reflect and take accountability for her actions,” he said.
Sarah Hagi, the journalist that uncovered Karla Sofía Gascón’s offensive posting history, explains why she wanted the “Emilia Pérez” star’s tweets to “gain traction.”
“When someone in a historic position representing a film built on so-called progressive values has a history of… pic.twitter.com/xgQFNBEvoI
— Variety (@Variety) February 1, 2025
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Uh Oh! Transgender Actress Karla Sofía Gascón’s Racist George Floyd and Islamophobic Tweets Come Back to Bite | VIDEO
