Photo Credit: Getty Images
Selena Gomez has spoken out for the first time regarding the controversy surrounding her Emilia Pérez co-star, Karla Sofía Gascón. The issue emerged after old social media posts allegedly made by Gascón resurfaced, sparking widespread criticism.
During a Q&A session at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 9, Gomez responded to a question about how she was handling the situation. "I'm really good," she said. "Some of the magic has disappeared, but I choose to continue to be proud of what I've done, and I'm just, I'm just grateful and live with no regrets." She added, "And I would do this movie over and over again if I could."
The controversy stems from resurfaced tweets attributed to Gascón, some of which contain offensive remarks about marginalized groups, including Black people, Muslims, and immigrants. One post, which Gascón has denied writing, referred to Gomez as a "rich rat" and accused her of playing the victim regarding her past relationship with Justin Bieber and his wife, Hailey Bieber.
In response to the backlash, Gascón defended herself in a February 2 interview with CNN en Español. She denied writing the insulting tweet about Gomez, saying, "It's not mine, of course. I've never said anything about my partner, I would never refer to her like that." She also addressed the calls for her to renounce her Academy Award nomination, stating, "I cannot renounce a nomination because what I have done is a job, and what is being valued is my acting work. I have not committed any crime, nor have I harmed anyone."
While Gascón has repeatedly apologized for her past remarks, she also suggested that some of the offensive comments circulating online had been fabricated. In a February 1 Instagram post, she claimed, "They have created posts as if it were me, insulting even my colleagues—things that I wrote to glorify as if they were criticism, jokes as if they were reality, words that without the background only seem like hate." She added, "I cannot repair my past actions, I can only say that today I am not the same person as 10 or 20 years ago."
The scandal has raised questions about the film's chances at the Academy Awards, where Emilia Pérez has received multiple nominations, including Best Actress for Gascón and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña. In the wake of the controversy, Saldaña has distanced herself from Gascón, while director Jacques Audiard has stated that he has severed ties with the actress.
