Zoe Saldaña reacts to ‘Emilia Perez’ co-star Karla Sofia Gascón’s offensive tweets
A series of resurfaced tweets showed Oscar-nominee Karla Sofia Gascón making offensive comments about George Floyd.
Just as quickly as social media buzzed about “Emilia Perez” becoming this year’s most nominated film at the Oscars, the digital streets shifted their focus to the film’s star, Karla Sofía Gascón. A series of resurfaced tweets revealed Gascón’s critical comments about George Floyd and the Islamic community, prompting fans to question the actress’s stance — especially given her role in a film praised for its diverse and inclusive storytelling.
The revelation was particularly difficult for her co-star, Zoe Saldaña, who just received her first ever Oscar nomination for the film.
“I’m sad. Time and time again, that’s the word because that is the sentiment that has been living in my chest since everything happened,” Saldaña said on an episode of Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast. “I’m also disappointed. I can’t speak for other people’s actions. All I can attest to is my experience, and never in a million years did I ever believe that we would be here.”
When everyone started talking about the Netflix film, journalist Sarah Hagi became curious about the “Emilia Pérez” protagonist, and what she found was “shocking.” After sharing a thread of Gascón’s Islamaphobic tweets, other posts resurfaced of the actress making disparaging comments about George Floyd just days after he was murdered.
“I really think that very few people ever cared about George Floyd, a drug addict swindler, but his death has served to once again demonstrate that there are people who still consider black people to be monkeys Without rights and consider policemen to be assassins. They’re all wrong.” she reportedly posted in a thread of tweets. “Too many things to reflect on regarding the behavior of our species every time an event occurs. Perhaps it is no longer a question of racism but of social classes that feel threatened by each other. Maybe that’s the only real difference.”
Similarly, during the 2021 Oscar ceremony, Gascón tweeted: “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,” Gascón wrote. “Apart from that, an ugly, ugly gala.”
Following the controversy, Gascón has made two public statements. In an interview with CNN en Español, the actress said she can not and will not renounce her Oscar nomination.
“I have not committed any crime nor have I harmed anyone,” she told the outlet. “I am neither racist nor anything that all these people have tried to make others believe I am.”
In light of the situation, Jacques Audiard, the French director of “Emilia Pérez,” told Deadline he has distanced himself from Gascón and has no desire to reach out to her, claiming that “she needs space to reflect and take accountability for her actions.” Audiard’s comments incentivized a new comment from Gascón, which she posted to her Instagram:
“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,” adding that she hopes her “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.”
Though Gascón’s comments have cast a cloud over the film, Saldaña says she is still allowing herself to “experience joy” for the film’s impact.
“I will always be a hopeful person. I was not raised to have any negative judgment towards people of any group in any community. While being that person, I can still stand by a body of work that I can be proud of,” she said, noting that individuals are responsible for their actions. “I’m still processing. I certainly think that this is a learning experience. Everything in life is a learning experience for all of us. And the point of uncomfortable events is for the sake of evolution. So I hope that we continue moving in the right direction.”
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