During the 97th Academy Awards, Conan O’Brien took a comedic swing at Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón, whose Best Actress nomination for Emilia Pérez was already overshadowed by a resurfaced Twitter scandal. The joke landed with a mix of gasps and chuckles, adding fuel to the fiery debate over Hollywood, humor, and holding the past accountable.
“Anora uses the F-word 479 times. That’s 3 more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist.”
—Conan O’Brien during his Oscars monologue pic.twitter.com/6oGywtcFKR
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) March 3, 2025
The audience at the 97th Academy Awards wasn’t expecting Conan O’Brien to wade straight into controversy, but that’s exactly what he did. Gasps, awkward laughter, and a few raised eyebrows followed his joke about Karla Sofía Gascón—whose red carpet moment was already clouded by the resurfacing of past offensive tweets.
Gascón had tried to smooth things over with a public apology before the big night, hoping her Emilia Pérez performance would outshine the backlash. But O’Brien’s jab ensured the conversation remained split between art, accountability, and whether the Oscars stage is the place for a comedic roast.
Some viewers hailed O’Brien for his no-holds-barred approach, while others cringed at what felt like an unnecessary callout. Either way, his monologue added yet another layer to the long-running debate about where to draw the line between humor and sensitivity in Hollywood’s biggest night.
Of course, the 2025 Oscars weren’t just about controversy. Emilia Pérez made history with 13 nominations, and stars like Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo delivered show-stopping performances. Still, for better or worse, Conan’s joke may be the moment that sticks in everyone’s memory.
And speaking of reactions—here’s how the audience responded to this legendary moment:
conan dissing karla sofía gascon in the opening monolgue. hell yeah #Oscars pic.twitter.com/r3gUxIFpR8
— ʀoss 🇵🇸 (@rosseireann) March 3, 2025
Karla Sofía Gascón after that Conan O’Brien joke #Oscars2025 pic.twitter.com/keYBrV56R4
— Kyler (@kylermcd) March 3, 2025
