Netflix removes Karla Sofia Gascon from Emilia Perez Oscars campaign following offensive tweets
Netflix has distanced itself from trans star Karla Sofía Gascón after her controversial comments resurfaced online, including one about co-star Selena Gomez.
Netflix is reportedly distancing itself from Emilia Pérez lead star Karla Sofía Gascón after her controversial social media comments resurfaced online, including one in which she called her co-star Selena Gomez a “rich rat”.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the streaming giant has removed the actress from its Oscars campaign, despite the star being up for the Best Actress among the film’s record-breaking 13 other Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Jacques Audiard and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldana.
Gascón, 52, is the first ever trans person to be nominated for an Oscar and was a solid frontrunner at the ceremony on March 3.
On Thursday, she is due to be seated with Audiard, Saldana and fellow co-star Gomez at a glitzy AFI Awards luncheon at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. And on Friday, she and her castmates are to attend the Critics Choice Awards together at the Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar.
However, THR reports that in the light of Gascón’s problematic comments, Netflix has “no great interest” to cover her transportation costs from Spain or locally in the US, her accommodations, or to facilitate her attendance at any of the events leading up to the Oscars next month.
“There is no great interest on the part of Netflix to provide the usual courtesies afforded by a studio to an Oscar contender, such as transportation and accommodations, to facilitate her attendance at the remaining awards season gatherings,” the masthead reported.
The Hollywood Reporter also says that tensions are so high between Gascón and Netflix that both parties are no longer speaking, only communicating through Gascón’s agent, Jeremy Barber of United Talent Agency (UTA).
Furthermore, THR states that Gascón has already been removed from email blasts promoting the film for the Oscars, and while current billboards of the film feature images of the actress, upcoming posters will soon highlight other cast members.
Among Gascón’s resurfaced tweets include her views on a number of issues including Islam and George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer in 2020 and inspired protests across the US.
“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,” she tweeted days after he was killed. “They’re all wrong.”
In November 2020, the Spanish star complained of “more and more Muslims in Spain” and wrote that: “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. Maybe next year instead of English we’ll have to teach Arabic.”
In another tweet from 2020, Gascón wrote of Covid vaccines: “The Chinese vaccine, aside from the mandatory chip, comes with two spring rolls, a waving cat, two plastic flowers, a collapsible lantern, three phone lines, and one euro for your first controlled purchase.”
Another tweet saw her call to “ban religions that go against European values and violate human rights, such as Islam.”
Yet another shocking tweet took aim at her Emilia Pérez co-star Gomez.
It’s emerged that in 2022, Gascón commented on a photo of Gomez and Hailey Bieber posing together amid reports that the pair were feuding due to Gomez’s history with Hailey’s husband, Justin Bieber.
Referring to her co-star, Gascón wrote: “She’s a rich rat who plays the poor bastard whenever she can and will never stop bothering her ex-boyfriend and his wife.”
Gascón has since apologised for her offensive tweets.
“I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt,” Gascón said in a statement to various outlets. “As someone in a marginalised 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.”
She again apologised in an interview with CNN, saying she sends her “most sincere apologies to all the people who may have felt offended”. However, Gascón says she has not committed a crime with her comments and will not relinquish her Oscar nomination.
“I cannot step down from an Oscar nomination because I have not committed any crime nor have I harmed anyone,” she said.
“I am neither racist nor anything that all these people have tried to make others believe I am.”
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