Inside the Controversy Surrounding Karla Sofía Gascón — and Whether the “Emilia Pérez” Star Plans on Attending the Oscars Amid Backlash

Karla Sofía Gascón has been in the spotlight for more than her starring role in Emilia Pérez.

The Spanish actress gained U.S. attention after playing the titular character in the 2024 musical, which received the most Oscar nominations at this year’s ceremony. Gascón also made history as the first openly transgender acting nominee to be considered for the Best Actress category.

While most groundbreaking stars would be met with a warm welcome, Gascón is instead facing backlash for her decision to attend the award ceremony.

Related: What Is Emilia Pérez Based On? All About the Surprising Inspiration Behind the Star-Studded Netflix Film — and How One Actress Made It Happen

Since January 2025, Gascón has been under fire after controversial social media posts from her past resurfaced, leading her to share a message on Instagram vowing to “let the work talk for itself” during awards season. She added that she hoped her “silence will allow the film to be appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to love and difference.”

In line with her promise, she was noticeably absent from the SAG Awards and the Critics Choice Awards. Still, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that Gascón has plans to attend the Oscars on March 2.

Despite making numerous apologies in recent weeks, the actress previously told CNN that she would not back out of the race for Best Actress because she has “not committed any crime” or “harmed anyone.”

“I am neither racist nor anything that all these people have tried to make others believe I am,” Gascón said.

Here’s everything to know about the controversy surrounding Karla Sofía Gascón.

What did Karla Sofía Gascón do?

In the month leading up to the Oscars, internet sleuths discovered a handful of since-deleted posts on X from 2020 and 2021 that have garnered backlash, including remarks Gascón made about Muslim culture, George Floyd and diversity.

Among the deleted posts allegedly included Gascón claiming that the Oscars preferred to spotlight independent and protest films and specifically calling out the Black Lives Matter Movement, per Variety. According to the outlet, the Oscar-nominated actress allegedly called the event “an ugly, ugly gala.”

Variety additionally reported that Gascón made racist remarks about the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as several offensive comments about other religions.

What did Karla Sofía Gascón say about Selena Gomez?

Amid Gascón’s resurfaced social media posts were previous X posts allegedly written about her Emilia Pérez costar Selena Gomez, in which she called her a “rich rat” who will “never stop bothering her ex-boyfriend and his wife,” referring to Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber.

But, Gascón denied writing the message. In an interview with CNN en Español, the actress claimed the posts were fabricated, saying, “It’s not mine, of course.”

She continued, “I have never said anything about my colleague. I would never refer to her that way.”

How did Karla Sofía Gascón respond to the backlash?

Following the resurfacing of her social media posts — from the racist remarks to the comments about her costar — Gascón responded on Instagram, asking for forgiveness and claiming that her words had been misunderstood.

Gascón asked for “the most sincere forgiveness from those who feel bad about the way I’ve expressed myself at any stage of my life.”

“I have many things to learn in this world, the forms [in which I learn] are my biggest defect,” the actress continued. “Life has taught me something I never wanted to learn: it’s clear to me that no matter how much my message is my message, without using the proper words, [the message] can turn into another.”

Gascón further claimed that “they have achieved their objective” of “staining” her “existence with lies or things taken out of context.”

“Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a racist (you will be surprised when you find out that one of the most important people in my current life and that I love the most is Muslim) nor any of the things for which I have been judged and condemned without trial and without option to explain true intention,” she wrote.

Gascón added, “I have always fought for a more just society and for a world of freedom, peace and love. I will never support wars, religious extremism or the oppression of races and peoples.”

The actress additionally released a statement to PEOPLE apologizing “to those I have caused pain.”

“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,” she said. “All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”

Days later, she shared another Instagram post in which she sought “the freedom to exist without fear, to create art without barriers and to move forward with my new life,” adding that people want to apply “cancel culture” to her.

“I ask the Hollywood experts, the journalists who know me and who have followed my career, how do I move forward?” Gascón concluded, tagging dozens of entertainment news media outlets.

What has the Emilia Pérez cast said about Karla Sofía Gascón?

Many of Gascón’s costars spoke out about her comments and the film in the wake of the backlash, including Gomez and Zoe Saldaña, who is nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category.

While on a panel at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Feb. 9, Gomez shared that she feels some of the “magic has disappeared” with the film since the aftermath of Gascón’s comments.

“I choose to continue to be proud of what I’ve done, and I’m just grateful,” Gomez said. “I live with no regrets and I would do this movie over and over again if I could.”

During a London Q&A, Saldaña said she was “still processing everything that transpired,” per The Hollywood Reporter.

“It makes me really sad because I don’t support [it], and I don’t have any tolerance for any negative rhetoric towards people of any group,” the actress added.

She continued, “I can only attest to the experience that I had with each and every individual that was a part, that is a part, of this film, and my experience and my interactions with them was about inclusivity and collaboration and racial, cultural, and gender equity. And it just saddens me.”

Meanwhile, Emilia Pérez director Jacques Audiard condemned Gascón’s behavior to Deadline, saying that it makes him “very sad” that the controversy has been “taking up all the space” and shifting the focus away from the film.

“It’s very hard for me to think back to the work I did with Karla Sofía,” he said. “The trust we shared, the exceptional atmosphere that we had on the set that was indeed based on trust.

“And when you have that kind of relationship and suddenly you read something that that person has said, things that are absolutely hateful and worthy of being hated, of course that relationship is affected,” Audiard continued. “It’s as if you fall into a hole. Because what Karla Sofía said is inexcusable.”

The director also accused Gascón of “hurting the crew and all [the] people who worked so incredibly hard on the film,” including himself, Saldaña and Gomez.

Read the original article on People