Photo credit: variety.com
Karla Sofía Gascón, the nominated actress for her role in “Emilia Pérez,” made her presence known at the Oscars on Sunday evening, despite skipping the red carpet following a tumultuous awards season.
During Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue, Gascón was highlighted as the comedian made a remark about the potential frustrations expressed by her publicist throughout the awards cycle. O’Brien directed a quip to her, landing on the note, “If you are going to tweet about the Oscars, remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”
After Gascón’s nomination, past tweets from 2020 and 2021 emerged, resulting in a considerable backlash. These tweets contained disparaging comments regarding Muslims, diversity issues at the Oscars, and referenced the death of George Floyd, prompting significant criticism online.
In response to the controversy, Gascón issued an apology. She expressed her regret in a statement, affirming, “I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt. As someone in a marginalized community, I understand this suffering intimately and I am deeply sorry to those whom I have caused pain. Throughout my life, I have fought for a better world. I believe that light will always triumph over darkness.”
The film “Emilia Pérez” garnered significant acclaim, receiving 13 Oscar nominations, including prestigious categories such as best picture and best director. Gascón’s nomination is groundbreaking, marking her as the first openly trans woman to receive a nod for best actress.
Recently, Gascón made her first public appearance following the controversy at the César Awards held in Paris on Friday night.
Zoe Saldaña, Gascón’s co-star from “Emilia Pérez,” quickly voiced her disapproval of the resurfaced tweets, emphasizing her disappointment over the situation. She reflected, “I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad. It makes me sad because I don’t support [it], and I have no tolerance for any negative rhetoric towards any group. My experience with everyone involved in this film has been about inclusivity, collaboration, and equity across cultural and gender lines. It saddens me that we are facing this setback.”
Source
variety.com