OK, we all know the Emilia Pérez controversy is messy, but now even I’m confused.
In case you need a quick refresher, Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón made history this award season as the first openly trans actor to receive a Best Actress Academy Award nomination. Shortly afterwards, she made headlines as a legion of her racist and anti-Islamic posts resurfaced online.
Karla Sofía’s numerous responses were… questionable. After a couple of sort-of-apologies, she did a long interview with CNN en Español insisting that her previous actions did not define her. One of her statements on Instagram included what seemed like a claim that the racist posts resurfacing were an attempt to stifle her Oscar chances. Which… is definitely a claim.
She also stated on CNN that her Emilia Pérez costars were in support of her “200%.” Zoë Saldaña and Selena Gomez — who play Rita and Jessi in the musical, respectively — have both since implied that this is not the case. Netflix has also reportedly stopped funding Karla Sofía for award season.
And while the Emilia Pédrez cast distanced themselves, the film’s director, Jacques Audiard, was also left appalled by Karla Sofía’s past posts.
In an interview with Deadline from just two weeks ago, Jacques described Karla Sofía’s past words as “inexcusable.”
“It’s very hard for me to think back to the work I did with Karla Sofía,” Jacques said. “I haven’t spoken to her, and I don’t want to. She is in a self-destructive approach that I can’t interfere in, and I really don’t understand why she’s continuing. I’m thinking in this thing of how hurting others, of how she’s hurting the crew and all these people who worked so incredibly hard on this film. I’m thinking of myself, I’m thinking of Zoë [Saldaña] and Selena [Gomez]. I just don’t understand why she’s continuing to harm us.”
“I’m not getting in touch with her because right now she needs space to reflect and take accountability for her actions,” he added.
Jacques went on to state that Karla Sofía had been “playing the victim” in the situation. “It’s as if she thought that words don’t hurt,” he explained.
And while the interview, conducted on February 5, seemed to clarify how Jacques felt about Karla Sofía, his recent speech at the BAFTAs has left people confused.
Last night, Emilia Pérez was awarded the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language. And while Karla Sofía was not present at the BAFTAs held in London, Jacques made a point to thank her in his acceptance speech. And like, really thank her.
“Above all, I would like to thank all the wonderful artists who brought this film to life and who are here with us tonight,” he said, translated by an interpreter. “My dear Zoë, my dear Selena, Giorgini, Paul, Juliet, Camille, Clement, Julia and your team, but also you, my dear Karla Sofía, that I kiss. I’m deeply proud of what we achieved together. Long live Emilia Pérez!”
Jacques was not the only Emilia Pérez winner to shout out Karla Sofía in an acceptance speech. Zoë, who was awarded Best Supporting Actress, also gave her a mention, although it was a little more covert.
“I want to thank my wonderful cast, Karla, Selena, Adriana,” Zoë said. “Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds. And I hope that Emilia Pérez did something like this, please, because voices need to be heard.”
Meanwhile, the online response to Emilia Pérez winning more awards has been pretty much what you’d expect. The controversy surrounding the film began even before Karla Sofía’s posts resurfaced, as many people felt that the film was a misrepresentation of the Mexican community, especially considering the distinct lack of Mexican folks both in front of and behind the camera.
In addition to the issues with Mexican representation, members of the LGBTQ+ community have voiced their own issues with the film, with GLAAD calling Emilia Pérez a “profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman.”
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the whole Emilia Pérez situation in the comments below.
