NEW YORK — Karla Sofía Gascón, the Oscar-nominated transgender actress known for her role in the film “Emilia Pérez,” has expressed regret over past social media posts that were critical of Islam and referred to George Floyd as “a drug addict and a hustler.”
In a statement released on Thursday through Netflix, the platform where her movie is available for viewing, Gascón said, “As someone from a marginalized background, I am acutely aware of this suffering and deeply apologize to those I have hurt. Throughout my life, I have fought for a more just world, and I believe that light will inevitably overcome darkness.”
By Friday, Gascón had deactivated her account on X. In her remarks to a media outlet, she noted that she could no longer suffer under a “campaign of hate and misinformation” and opted to close her account at the request of her family. Netflix has not commented on the matter as of Friday.
Gascón has made history as the first transgender individual to receive an Oscar nomination for best actress, contributing to “Emilia Pérez” becoming the most nominated film ahead of the upcoming Academy Awards. Netflix is likely concerned that this controversy could hinder the film’s chances for success at the Oscars.
This week, several of Gascón’s older posts from her X account emerged, some dating back to 2016, that criticized various aspects of Islamic culture, dress, and language prevalent in her home country of Spain. In one instance, she even called for a ban on Islam.
Furthermore, less than a month after the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis in 2020, Gascón commented on Floyd’s character, suggesting that he was a drug addict who had very few people who genuinely cared for him. Floyd’s death sparked widespread discussions about police brutality and systemic racism in society.
Before her transition in 2018, Gascón had an established career in Mexican telenovelas. In her role in “Emilia Pérez,” she portrays both a menacing drug lord and the woman who emerges after that character fakes their own death. Years later, her character seeks out the lawyer who assisted in her transition (played by Zoe Saldaña) in order to reconnect with her wife (played by Selena Gomez) and their children.
Gascón is not the first celebrity to face backlash for past tweets; others like James Gunn, Trevor Noah, and Blake Shelton have also encountered similar situations. Nonetheless, these individuals managed to bounce back, with Gunn returning to direct the third “Guardians of the Galaxy” film and a new “Superman” reboot, Noah hosting the Grammy Awards this weekend, and Shelton enjoying a lengthy tenure as a coach on NBC’s “The Voice.”
