The reception of Emilia Pérez in Latin America, particularly in Mexico, has been anything but warm. The film, which has struggled to win over audiences in the region, has been met with skepticism and criticism, compounded by lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón’s dismissive attitude toward the Spanish-speaking press and public.
The tension between Gascón and the Latin American audience took a turn for the worse this week when a series of racist tweets from her past resurfaced, putting her historic Oscar nomination at risk. The backlash was severe enough that Gascón not only issued a public apology but also deactivated her social media accounts—at least for now.
Gascón Deactivates Her Social Media Accounts
As of January 31, Gascón’s Twitter/X account is no longer active. The Spanish actress, who made history as the first openly transgender nominee for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, addressed the controversy in a statement, saying she was “deeply sorry” for any “hurt” and “pain” her resurfaced tweets may have caused:
“I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt. As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”
Despite the uproar, Netflix, which distributed Emilia Pérez, has remained silent, declining to comment when approached by media outlets.
Resurfaced Tweets Spark Backlash
The controversy was ignited when journalist Sarah Hagi shared screenshots of Gascón’s past tweets, which included offensive remarks about Muslim communities, diversity efforts in Hollywood, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
One of the resurfaced posts, allegedly from 2021, critiqued the Academy Awards, stating: “More and more the #Oscars are looking like a ceremony for independent and protest films. I didn’t know if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration, or the 8M. Apart from that, an ugly, ugly gala.”
Another controversial tweet from 2020 expressed discomfort with the growing Muslim presence in Spain: “Is it just my impression or are there more Muslims in Spain? Every time I go to pick up my daughter from school there are more women with their hair covered and their skirts down to their heels. Next year instead of English we’ll have to teach Arabic.”
The resurfaced tweets quickly went viral, prompting concerns about how the Emilia Pérez cast and Academy voters would respond to the scandal. One user pointed out that “the fact that these tweets span years, and there are so many of them, prove that these are her consistent and blatant beliefs.”
Previous Controversy with Fellow Oscar Nominee
The controversy surrounding Gascón follows another recent incident in which she made comments seemingly aimed at fellow Oscar nominee Fernanda Torres, star of Brazil’s I’m Still Here. In a January 28 interview, Gascón claimed that “there are people working with Fernanda Torres tearing me and Emilia Pérez down.” She later clarified her remarks, stating that she was referring to the “toxicity and violent hate speech on social media,” rather than Torres or anyone directly associated with her. “Fernanda has been a wonderful ally,” she added, “and no one directly associated with her has been anything but supportive and hugely generous.”
Will This Impact Her Oscar Chances?
Before deactivating her account, Gascón addressed the backlash on Twitter/X, calling herself “Public Enemy No. 1” and complaining about “haters who try to invent a new controversy or a new way to insult me every day.”
While Gascón’s nomination for Emilia Pérez was initially celebrated as a milestone for transgender representation in Hollywood, the resurfacing of her problematic past has cast a shadow over her historic moment. With her social media presence wiped clean, the question remains: Will this controversy impact her Oscar chances, or will Hollywood’s short memory allow her to weather the storm?
Read more:
Why is ‘Emilia Perez’ SO Controversial? Understanding Why Latinos Hate It So Much
Mexican TikTokers Roasted Emilia Pérez With a Satirical Musical And It’s Going Viral
