Karla Sofía Gascón has responded to the backlash surrounding resurfaced social media posts that sparked controversy. The Spanish actor, known for her role in Emilia Pérez issued a public apology on Instagram, saying she regrets hurting people and hopes the film is appreciated for its message. Alongside her statement, she shared a picture from the Cannes Film Festival, where she stood her with co-stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez including director Jacques Audiard and others.
“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,” Karla Sofía Gascón wrote in her post.
Her statement follows recent comments by Emilia Pérez director Jacques Audiard who spoke about the controversy in an interview with Deadline. In which he described Karla’s past remarks as “inexcusable” and revealed that he had not been in contact with her since the controversy started. “She is in a self-destructive approach that I can’t interfere in, and I really don’t understand why she’s continuing,” said Jacques. He added that the situation has been difficult for the film’s team saying, “She’s harming people who were very close to her, including the cast and crew.”
Gascón has been facing criticism for past social media posts about Muslim culture, George Floyd, and diversity at the Academy Awards. After the backlash, she deactivated her X (formerly Twitter) account and gave an interview to CNN En Español, where she denied being racist and claimed she was misunderstood. However, her interview reportedly took place without Netflix or her PR team’s approval.
Later, the impact of the controversy sky-rocketed which led to Karla receiving backlash from left and right. Also, earlier reports suggest that Karla will not be attending major awards event including the Oscars and the Goya Awards. Adding on, Netflix also reportedly distanced itself from her, and its no longer covering expenses related to her promotional appearances. Additionally, as LGBTQ+ publisher that had planned to release a revised edition of her biographical novel has cancelled the project.
Meanwhile, Emilia Pérez continues to be a major contender in this year’s awards season, leading the Oscar nominations with 13 nods. Gascón has made history as the first openly transgender actor to be nominated in an acting category at the Oscars. While the controversy remains unresolved, she maintains that her silence will let the film speak for itself.
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