Since her Oscar nomination for Best Actress, “Emilia Pérez” star Karla Sofía Gascón has been caught up in a storm after earlier offensive social media posts resurfaced online.
Gascón’s now deleted posts came to light after Canada-based journalist Sarah Hagi reported them, according to Variety Magazine. Gascón’s posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressed racially-insensitive views on topics such as Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars.
One example from November 2020 read: “I’m Sorry, Is it just my impression or [are] there more muslims in Spain? Every time I go to pick up my daughter from school there are more women with their hair covered and their skirts down to their heels. Next year instead of English we’ll have to teach Arabic.”
After these posts resurfaced, Gascón issued an apology to British online newspaper The Independent on Jan. 31. The apology read: “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. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”
But the apology did not end the controversy. Later, Gascón’s “Emilia Pérez” costar Zoe Saldaña broke her silence in an interview for an episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast.
“I’m sad,” she said. “Time and time again, that’s the word because that is the sentiment that has been living in my chest since everything happened. I’m also disappointed. I can’t speak for other people’s actions. All I can attest to is my experience, and never in a million years did I ever believe that we would be here.”
“Emilia Pérez” director Jacques Audiard also spoke out in an interview with online Hollywood news site Deadline.
Audiard spoke about the trust he had built with Gascón. In the interview, he said, ”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.”
After Audiard’s response, Gascón shared a post on Instagram announcing how she would take a step back from the public and apologized again for her actions.
“Following Jacques’ interview that I understand, I decided, for the film, for Jacques, for the cast, for the incredible crew who deserves it, for the beautiful adventure we all had together, to let the work talk for itself, hoping my silence will allow the film to be appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to love and difference. I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been hurt along the way,” she said in the post’s caption.
According to Deadline, Gascón will not attend events such as the Critics Choice Awards and the PGA Awards for the film. In addition, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Gascón was removed from the film’s Oscar campaign in the U.S.
