Karla Sofía Gascón Defends Her Oscar Nomination Amid Controversy Over Past Social Media Posts

Karla Sofía Gascón Defends Her Oscar Nomination Amid Controversy Over Past Social Media Posts

Karla Sofía Gascón, the star of Emilia Pérez and a groundbreaking nominee as the first openly transgender person in the Best Actress category, is standing firm in her Oscar race despite backlash over past social media comments. The controversy erupted after journalist Sarah Hagi shared screenshots of offensive posts from Gascón’s old X (formerly Twitter) account, which resurfaced online, leading to accusations of racism, Islamophobia, and other inflammatory remarks.

During a televised interview with CNN, Gascón addressed the controversy and issued a public apology. “I offer my most sincere apologies to anyone who may have been offended,” she said, emphasizing that she plans to remain in the running for Best Actress at the 2025 Oscars. “I cannot step down from an Oscar nomination because I have not committed any crime nor harmed anyone,” she stated. “I am neither racist nor anything that these people are trying to make others believe I am.”

The offensive posts reportedly included remarks that disparaged the murder of George Floyd, diversity at the Oscars, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the COVID-19 vaccine. In a 2021 post, Gascón reportedly commented on the Oscars: “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 addition, Gascón was criticized for Islamophobic language, including a 2016 post that called Islam “a hotbed of infection for humanity that urgently needs to be cured.” A subsequent post in 2021 echoed these sentiments, stating, “The West should ban Islam and any political or religious manifestation that violates human rights and universal values,” followed by more inflammatory remarks about religions in general.

The actress’s remarks on social media came to light after she spoke publicly about the harassment she faced online, particularly concerning her competition with I’m Still Here star Fernanda Torres for the Best Actress nomination. As the backlash intensified, a representative for Gascón issued a statement to Entertainment Weekly, expressing regret for any harm caused. “As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well, and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain,” the statement read. “All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”

Gascón’s co-star in Emilia Pérez, Zoe Saldaña, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actress, also shared her thoughts. Speaking at a Q&A in London, Saldaña expressed sadness over the situation, saying, “It makes me really sad because I don’t support it, and I don’t have any tolerance for any negative rhetoric towards people of any group.” She further explained her personal experience with the film’s cast, noting, “My experience and my interactions with them was about inclusivity and collaboration and racial, cultural and gender equity.”

Karla Sofía Gascón Defends Her Oscar Nomination Amid Controversy Over Past Social Media Posts

In addition to her initial email statement, Gascón posted a longer response on Instagram. “I recognize, through tears, that they have already won, they have achieved their objective, to stain my existence with lies or things taken out of context,” she wrote. “Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a racist… I will never support wars, religious extremism, or the oppression of races and peoples.”

While the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has not publicly disclosed its standards of conduct, it does have general guidelines regarding members’ actions. These regulations state that any member found to have violated these standards could face disciplinary actions, including suspension or expulsion.

Representatives for both the Academy and Gascón have been contacted for further comment.

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