Karla Sofia Gascon to remain in Oscar race despite controversy
04 Feb 2025

Karla Sofia Gascon, the first openly transgender actor to be nominated for an Oscar in an acting category, has refused to withdraw her nomination despite backlash over past social media posts.

Speaking to CNN's Juan Carlos Arciniegas, she said, "I cannot step down from an Oscar nomination because I have not committed any crime nor have I harmed anyone."

"I am neither racist nor anything that all these people have tried to make others believe I am."

Gascon's controversial posts and subsequent apology
Controversy details

The controversy over Gascon was sparked by journalist Sarah Hagi, who dug up old posts where the actor criticized Muslim culture, commented on George Floyd's death, and expressed displeasure over the Oscars's direction.

In one post, she called Floyd a "scammer drug addict."

Another post criticized the 2021 Oscars ceremony for being an "independent and vindictive film awards ceremony."

Amid the backlash, Gascon deactivated her account on X (the name of the platform wasn't mentioned in CNN's report) and apologized.

'I...deeply regret having caused pain'
Apology

In a statement shared with CNN, Gascon said she regretted her past social media posts.

"I want to address the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused harm," she said. "As a member of a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and deeply regret having caused pain."

She added that she has always advocated for a better world and believes in the triumph of light over darkness.

Gascon denied derogatory tweet about co-star Selena Gomez
Denial

During the interview, Gascon also addressed a derogatory tweet about her Emilia Perez co-star Selena Gomez from 2022, which has since been deleted.

She categorically denied authoring the post, stating, "It's not mine, of course. I have never said anything about my colleague. I would never refer to her that way."

'Emilia Perez' has been slammed in home country of Mexico
Film defense

Gascon is nominated for her role in Emilia Perez, a controversial Netflix musical and crime drama, especially in Mexico. The film tells the story of a Mexican drug trafficker looking for gender reassignment surgery.

Emilia Perez's French director Jacques Audiard defended his work in an interview with CNN en Espanol last month. He said, "If there are things that seem scandalous to Mexicans in Emilia, I apologize."