Zoe Saldaña Breaks Her Silence on Karla Sofia Gascon’s Controversial Historical Tweets

Zoe Saldaña has broken her silence on the recent controversy surrounding her Emilia Pérez co-star, Karla Sofía Gascón. Gascón, who leads the musical crime drama as its titular character, has received backlash for resurfaced social media posts (that range in time from 2016 to 2023), where she makes Islamophobic and racist comments. During a Q&A for the film hosted on Friday night, Saldaña told The Hollywood Reporter:

“I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad. 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. I can only attest to the experience that I had with each and every individual that was a part, that is a part, of this film, and my experience and my interactions with them was about inclusivity and collaboration and racial, cultural, and gender equity. And it just saddens me. It saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now.”

Emilia Pérez has faced its share of setbacks: despite being a major awards season contender, the movie has sparked criticism from different groups. The genre-bending feature follows a former Mexican cartel leader, Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, who hires an attorney to help him fake his death while he transitions into Emilia. Mexican and Latino critics have found issues with the Spanish-language movie being directed by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (who does not speak Spanish), and the limited involvement of Mexican actors and crew. Some also argue that its portrayal of Mexican culture relies heavily on stereotypes. Meanwhile, some LGBTQ+ viewers and organizations have found the film’s characters lacking depth and authenticity. Another segment of viewers just don’t think Emilia Pérez is that great of a movie and undeserving of the praise it’s received.

But none of that has stopped Emilia Pérez from racking up accolades. The film earned 13 Oscar nominations this year, the most of any other movie. Saldaña earned the Best Supporting Actress award at the Golden Globes and landed her first Oscar nod. For her portrayal of the titular character, Gascón made history as the first openly trans woman to earn Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations in the Best Actress categories.

Karla Sofía Gascón’s Posts Clash with ‘Emilia Pérez’s Message

Gascón’s tweets are certainly not inclusive, which contradicts the film’s message of acceptance. Speaking on the latter, Saldaña told the crowd at Friday night’s Q&A:

“But I’m happy that you’re all here and that you’re all still showing up for ‘Emilia,’ because the message that this film has is so powerful and the change it can bring forward to communities that are marginalized day in and day out is important.”

Gascón has since apologized for her damning social media posts (some of which you can read here) and deleted her X/Twitter account. In a statement (via the Associated Press), she shared:

“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.”

Why ‘Emilia Pérez’ Is So Controversial

‘Emilia Pérez’ swept at the Golden Globes, but viewers are calling it out for containing problematic material. Here’s why.

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Before disabling her X account, Gascón shared that she had been “threatened with death, insulted, abused and harassed to the point of exhaustion, and noted that her opinions were “often erroneous” and had changed throughout her experience. One of Emilia Pérez‘s other messages is about second chances. We’ll have to wait and see if Gascón will get hers.

The 97th Academy Awards will air on ABC on Sunday, March 2, Conan O’Brien will serve as host. Emilia Pérez is available to stream on Netflix.