Oscars 2025: Emilia Perez actor apologises for calling the Academy Awards 'an ugly gala' in the past

Karla Sofia Gascon Pic/AFP

Actor Karla Sofia Gascon, best known for her role in the Oscar-nominated film 'Emilia Perez' issued an apology for offensive posts against the Academy Awards in the past. She also deactivated her X account after receiving backlash. Gascon faced the wrath of netizens when they discovered tweets from 2020 and 2021 that had controversial views on Muslims, George Floyd, and diversity at the Oscars.

Karla Sofia Gascon's apology

Gascon, an openly transgender star apologised in a statement to Variety, saying, "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 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."

What Gascon wrote about the Oscars

Among her several resurfaced tweets, Gascon critiqued the diversity of the 2021 Oscars ceremony. "More and more the #Oscars are looking like a ceremony for independent and protest films, I didn't know if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration, or the 8M. Apart from that, an ugly, ugly gala," she wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

She also called George Floyd a "drug addict swindler" after he was killed by a police officer in 2020 and inspired protests around the U.S.

Emilia Perez nominated at the Oscars

Gascon's apology comes as the actress has been making waves in Hollywood with her groundbreaking role in 'Emilia Perez', which earned her an Oscar nomination. She also made history as the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for a Golden Globe, a nomination she earned for her moving performance in the film. The movie itself is also nominated for Best Picture and Best International Film at the Academy Awards.

The film tells the story of four women in Mexico, each on a journey to find happiness. The central character, Emilia, a feared cartel leader played by Gascon, enlists the help of Rita (Zoe Saldana), an underappreciated lawyer, to fake her death. This allows Emilia to live authentically as her true self and undergo gender reassignment surgery.