While Emilia Pérez has garnered buzz and acclaim as a darling of Hollywood's ongoing awards season, the Netflix movie's star, Karla Sofía Gascón, has been mired in controversy over resurfaced social media posts. The musical, which tells the story of a Mexican cartel boss who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, has dominated this year's Academy Awards nominations with 13 nods, breaking the record for the most nominations for a non-English language film at the Oscars.
Gascón, 52, holds the distinction of being the first openly transgender actor nominated for an Academy Award. The Spanish star earned a nod for her performance as the titular character in Jacques Audiard's musical crime film, nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role. But the celebration of that milestone has been overshadowed by the revelation of past posts on X, formerly Twitter, which have sparked intense backlash and raised questions about her future in the awards race.
The Resurfaced Posts
On January 30, journalist Sarah Hagi shared screenshots of several posts from Gascón's X account. The screenshots revealed a pattern of inflammatory statements made over several years. In one post from 2016, Gascón criticized Islam, writing that the religion “is becoming a hotbed of infection for humanity that urgently needs to be cured.” In another post from 2020, she commented on the presence of Muslims in Spain: “Sorry, is it just my impression or are there more and 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. Maybe next year instead of English we'll have to teach Arabic.”
The resurfaced posts also included remarks about George Floyd, whose death in May 2020 sparked worldwide protests after a video showed Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes. Gascón wrote: “I truly believe that very few people ever cared about George Floyd, a drug addict and a hustler, but his death has served to highlight once again that there are those who still consider Black people to be monkeys without rights and those who consider the police to be murderers. All wrong.”
Gascón also ridiculed the 2021 Oscars broadcast, which took place after the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted life and industry across the globe. She said: “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.” In a post from 2019, she wrote that she didn't “understand so much about the world war against Hitler, he simply had his opinion about Jews.”
Public Apology and Defiance
Soon after the posts were made public, Gascón issued an apology. “I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt,” she said in a statement. “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.”
In a subsequent interview with CNN en Español anchor Juan Carlos Arciniegas, Gascón reiterated her apology but also said she did not recognize some of the resurfaced posts. She insisted that she would not be seeking to withdraw her Oscar nomination. “I cannot step down from an Oscar nomination because I have not committed any crime nor have I harmed anyone,” she said. “I am neither racist nor anything that all these people have tried to make others believe I am.”
During the interview, Gascón also denied reports that in 2022 she called Selena Gomez, one of her co-stars in Emilia Pérez, a “rich rat who plays the poor bastard whenever she can.” “It's not mine, of course, I have never said anything about my colleague, I would never refer to her that way,” Gascón told Arciniegas. She went on to say, “I have been judged, condemned, sacrificed, crucified, and stoned without a trial and without the option to defend myself.”
Netflix's Silence and Industry Fallout
As of press time, Netflix has yet to issue a public statement on the controversy surrounding Gascón. Deadline and Variety are among the news outlets to have reported that Netflix was not informed ahead of time of Gascón's recent interview with CNN. This lack of coordination has fueled speculation that the streaming giant may be distancing itself from the actress, a move that would be unusual given that Emilia Pérez is one of its most prominent awards contenders.
The fallout has seen calls for Gascón to be stripped of her Oscar nomination. Some industry observers have drawn comparisons to past controversies involving nominees, noting that while the Academy rarely revokes nominations, public pressure can sometimes lead to a nominee being sidelined from promotional events. There have also been unconfirmed reports that Gascón will be skipping several awards shows preceding the March 2 Academy Awards ceremony, though it has not been publicly stated whether she will attend the Oscars themselves.
Gascón's Role in Emilia Pérez
In Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard, Gascón portrays the titular character, a Mexican drug cartel kingpin formerly known as Juan “Manitas” Del Monte. The mob boss enlists lawyer Rita Mora Castro, played by Zoe Saldaña, to help her go into hiding so that she can undergo gender-affirming surgery. The film explores themes of identity, redemption, and the cost of reinvention, and Gascón's performance has been widely praised for its emotional depth and resonance.
The role is a career-defining one for Gascón, who has spent decades acting in Spanish-language films and television. Born in Madrid, she studied at the Escuela de Arte Dramático in Madrid and began her career in the 1980s, appearing in Spanish and Mexican productions. She has cited her own experience as a transgender woman as informing her portrayal of Emilia Pérez, lending the character a sense of authenticity that has resonated with audiences and critics alike.
Background on Gascón's Career
Gascón's journey to Oscar history is notable not only for her performance but for the barriers she has broken. She is the first transgender woman to be nominated for an acting Oscar, a landmark moment for LGBTQ+ representation in Hollywood. Her nomination came as part of Emilia Pérez's record-breaking haul, which included nods for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress for Saldaña, and Best International Feature Film, among others.
Prior to Emilia Pérez, Gascón was best known for her roles in Spanish-language television, including the hit series Rebelde and the film Nosotros los nobles. She announced her transition in 2018, and has since become an outspoken advocate for transgender rights. Her historic nomination was celebrated as a sign of growing inclusivity in the entertainment industry, but the resurfaced posts have complicated that narrative.
Impact on the Awards Race
The controversy comes at a delicate moment for Emilia Pérez, which had been seen as a strong contender for several major Oscars, including Best Picture. Gascón's nomination was viewed as a potential history-making win, but the backlash could affect the film's overall chances. Some awards strategists have suggested that the controversy might hurt the film with voters who prioritize social justice values, while others believe the focus on Gascón's past statements could overshadow the film's artistic achievements.
The situation also raises broader questions about the accountability of artists for their past social media activity. In an era where old tweets and posts are routinely unearthed, celebrities are increasingly being forced to answer for comments made years before they achieved mainstream fame. Gascón's case is particularly complex because her offensive remarks target groups that are often marginalized, yet she herself belongs to a marginalized community as a transgender woman.
Gascón has deleted her X account, effectively removing the posts from public view, but the screenshots have circulated widely online. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has not commented on the matter, and it remains unclear whether the organization will take any action. Historically, the Academy has rarely revoked nominations, and there is no established procedure for doing so absent a criminal conviction or clear ethical violation.
Public Reaction and Support
Public reaction to the controversy has been divided. Many social media users have condemned Gascón's posts, calling them racist, Islamophobic, and offensive. Others have come to her defense, arguing that the posts are being taken out of context or that she has expressed genuine remorse. Some have noted that Gascón's apology was issued quickly and that she has acknowledged the hurt her words caused, which they see as a sign of growth.
However, the resurfacing of the posts has also reignited debates about cancel culture and whether public shaming is an appropriate response to past misdeeds. Supporters of Gascón point out that she has spent her career advocating for marginalized communities, and that her transition and public visibility have made her a symbol of resilience. Detractors, on the other hand, argue that her past statements reveal deep-seated prejudices that cannot be easily excused.
As the awards season continues, the spotlight on Gascón is unlikely to dim. The Academy Awards ceremony, scheduled for March 2, is expected to be a major moment for Emilia Pérez, but it is now also likely to be a moment of reckoning for its star. Whether Gascón attends the ceremony remains an open question, and her presence—or absence—will be closely watched by both supporters and critics.
For now, Gascón remains a nominee, and Emilia Pérez remains a front-runner. But the controversy has added an unexpected and uncomfortable layer to what was shaping up to be a triumphant awards season. The coming weeks will reveal how the academy, the industry, and the public at large choose to respond to one of the most challenging episodes in recent Oscar history.
Source: Newsweek News