“Emilia Pérez” star Karla Sofía Gascón has issued an apology for years-old racist tweets that resurfaced on Thursday and quickly sparked death threats being sent to the historic Oscar nominee.
Criticism has been swift for the 52-year-old Best Actress nominee — the first openly transgender performer nominated for an acting Oscar — who in one controversial tweet from 2020 suggested a ban against Islam and “religions that go against European values and violate human rights.”
In other troubling tweets that contributed to circulate Friday, Gascón bemoaned the immigration of “more and more Muslims” in her native Spain and referred to George Floyd as “a drug addict and a hustler.” One since-deleted tweet reportedly invoked Hitler to make a point about racial and gender inequality.
In response to the backlash, Gascón issued a lengthy statement to The Hollywood Reporter, apologizing “if anyone has ever felt offended” and attributing some of her tweets to “ignorance or pure mistake.”
“I am a human being who also made, makes and will make mistakes from which I will learn. I am not perfect,” she said.
But Gascón also defended herself, saying she has fought for “each and every one of the minorities in this world and supported freedom of religion and any action against racism and homophobia.”
She said she’s not responsible for her words being taken out of context nor how others interpret what she says, adding that she hopes to one day “have the opportunity to give a more extensive explanation.”
Though a favorite to win Best Picture, “Emilia Pérez” is already controversial for its portrayal of the transgender experience and Mexican culture. The Spanish-language Netflix musical is the most-nominated film at this year’s Academy Awards.
