Ahead of Oscars, Karla Sofia Gascon goes silent for sake of ‘Emilia Perez’

Spanish actress Karla Sofia Gascon apologized on Friday for past social media posts denigrating Muslims and other groups and said she would go silent to help her movie ‘Emilia Perez’ ahead of the Academy Awards, in which it was nominated in 13 categories.

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The first transgender person nominated for an acting Oscar saw her odds plummet in recent weeks after old posts on X, formerly Twitter, resurfaced and sparked outrage due to reportedly derogatory comments about several groups including Muslims.

“I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been hurt along the way,” Gascon said on her Instagram account.

“I decided, for the film, for (director) Jacques (Audiard), 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, hoping my silence will allow the film to be appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to love and difference,” Gascon said.

Spanish-born Gascon did not deny having made the comments on X, though she said they were taken out of context.

“Neither I nor my family are racist, never, quite the opposite,” she said in a prior Instagram post earlier this week. She added that no one had defended her when she was criticised about her old posts.

Her Friday post mentioned an interview with the film’s French director Audiard, in which he did not support her and criticised her old comments.

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‘Emilia Perez’, a Spanish-language story of a Mexican drug lord who transitions to a woman and starts a new life, earned 13 Oscar nods and has already garnered four Golden Globes awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldana.

The movie, produced by Netflix, has been met with a strong backlash in Mexico for its poor Spanish, use of stereotypes and filming in Paris with few Mexican cast members. Audiences have also said the film misrepresents the issue of forced disappearances. More than 100,000 people are missing in Mexico.