Zoe Saldaña is determined not to let the controversy surrounding her “Emilia Pérez” co-star Karla Sofía Gascón’s inappropriate social media remarks overshadow her experience as an Oscar nominee, although she acknowledges that there is much for her to reflect on.
Saldaña has received her first Academy Award nomination in the best supporting actress category for Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez,” which has emerged as the most-nominated film of the year with 13 nominations, including best picture and a lead actress nod for Gascón.
However, the conversation around the film took a turn when journalist Sarah Hagi shared screenshots of Gascón’s past social media posts that were deemed Islamophobic and critical of George Floyd. This shift is something Saldaña, a frontrunner for the Oscars in her category, has had to navigate both publicly and privately.
“I’m very sad. I’m also disappointed,” Saldaña expressed regarding Gascón’s comments during Thursday’s episode of Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, emphasizing that she “can’t speak for other people’s actions.”
Reflecting on her experience while filming, Saldaña noted that the cast, crew, and filmmakers were committed to “inclusivity and collaboration and equality of all sorts,” making the current situation particularly disheartening.
“I’m taking it day by day, and that joy is starting to kind of come back again,” she remarked, expressing her gratitude for the support she has received amid the controversy. She added that she is “taking my time to process” the situation, indicating that it is not something that needs to be resolved immediately.
Ultimately, Saldaña affirmed her stance against any form of racism and bigotry, stating, “I do not support any negative rhetoric towards any group of people. So that is what I want to stand for.”
Saldaña’s remarks follow Gascón’s historic nomination last month as the first openly transgender actress to receive an Oscar nomination in an acting category. Gascón recently issued an apology during an interview with CNN en Español’s Juan Carlos Arciniegas, yet she asserted that she “cannot withdraw” from the Oscars competition.
“I have not committed any crime nor have I harmed anyone,” Gascón stated in her conversation with CNN. “I am neither racist nor any of the things that these individuals have attempted to portray me as.”
Ongoing Repercussions
Jacques Audiard, the French director of “Emilia Pérez,” has distanced himself from Gascón, expressing in an interview with Deadline published on Wednesday that he has not communicated with the actress since the controversy erupted.
“I haven’t spoken to her, and I don’t wish to. She is on a self-destructive path that I cannot intervene in,” Audiard remarked. “I’m not reaching out to her because she currently needs the space to reflect and take responsibility for her actions.”
Audiard expressed that her inflammatory posts are “occupying all the space, which deeply saddens me,” and noted that the previously trusting relationship he had with Gascón on set has been “impacted” by the “truly hateful” and “unjustifiable” remarks she made that have come to light.
In a comment originally made in Spanish regarding the Floyd case, which involved the death of George Floyd in 2020 during a police encounter in Minneapolis, Gascón stated in part in a now-deleted post, “I genuinely believe that very few people truly cared about George Floyd, a fraudulent drug addict.”
Gascón has since disabled her X account.
In an attempt to preserve the Oscar campaign for “Emilia Perez” involving the cast and crew, Netflix is reportedly distancing itself from Gascón, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke to CNN. This comes despite Netflix not having made any public statements regarding the issue.
CNN has reached out to representatives from Netflix and Gascón for their comments.
As the Academy Awards ceremony approaches, scheduled for March 2 in Hollywood, the Oscar campaigns for the nominees will resume this weekend with a series of events, including the AFI Awards luncheon, the Critics Choice Awards, and various Guild awards. Gascón was initially expected to participate in all these events, as well as the Santa Barbara Film Festival on Sunday, but she is now not anticipated to attend any of them, as confirmed by the source to CNN.
The source also indicated that Netflix is not currently in direct contact with Gascón. The actress has not indicated whether she will attend the Academy Awards on March 2.
In a new apology posted on her social media on Thursday evening, Gascón addressed the situation. Accompanying a photo of the “Emilia Pérez” cast and crew, she stated, “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.” She expressed hope that her “silence will allow the film to be appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to love and difference.”
Her statement referenced an interview with Audiard published in Deadline earlier this week.
“I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been hurt along the way,” Gascón concluded.