French director Jacques Audiard has spoken out regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón. The talented actress who earned an Oscar nomination for her groundbreaking role in the film has found herself in the centre of the storm after post offensive social media posts resurfaced. The tweets which deemed racist and Islamophobic, have caused significant backlash with Audiard now distancing himself from Karla, citing her behaviour as self-destructive.
“Karla Sofía is in a Self-Destructive…” – Jacques Audiard
In an emotional interview with Deadline, Emilia Pérez director Jacques Audiard who had previously worked with Karla Sofía Gascón during the filming, shared his shock and disappointment over the resurfaced posts. “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. 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,” Audiard explained. He went on to say that the whole situation feels like falling into a hole, expressing how “what Karla Sofía said is inexcusable.”
Despite the controversy, Karla has remained defiant, apologizing and continuing her public appearances including a televised interview. She insisted that she is neither racist no anything people have accused her of. However, Jacques Audiard who guided her to the Oscar nomination said he doesn’t understand why Karla is continuing down this path. “I haven’t spoken to her, and I don’t want to. She is in a self-destructive approach that I can’t interfere in, and I really don’t understand why she’s continuing. Why is she harming herself? Why? I don’t understand it, and what I don’t understand about this too is why she’s harming people who were very close to her,” he said.
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‘Karla Sofía is Hurting Emilia Pérez Cast & Crew’
The director further shared his concerns for the people around Gascón, particularly the crew members and his fellow stars. “I’m thinking in this thing of how she’s hurting others, of how she’s hurting the crew and all these people who worked so incredibly hard on this film. I’m thinking of myself, I’m thinking of Zoe [Saldaña] and Selena [Gomez]. I just don’t understand why she’s continuing to harm us,” he added. Audiard emphasized that right now, Gascón needs space to reflect and take accountability for her actions before any further conversations can take place.
As Emilia Pérez faces widespread criticism, not just for the controversy surrounding Karla Sofía Gascón but also for its portrayal of Mexican culture, Jacques Audiard defended his creative choices. He explained that the film was never intended to be a realistic depiction, but rather an opera with stylized elements. “If I wanted to make a work that was particularly documented, then I would do a documentary, but then there would be no singing and dancing,” he said.
The entire situation has put a dark cloud over what could have been a historic moment for Gascón and Emilia Pérez. As the Oscar race continues, it remains to be seen how the controversy will impact the film’s chances and Gascón’s career.
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