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Karla Sofía Gascón Appears at the Oscars 2025 After Controversy, but Avoids Red Carpet

Karla Sofía Gascón Appears at the Oscars 2025, even though she bypassed the red carpet, Karla Sofía Gascón, the

By Biographygen

March 4, 2025

Karla Sofía Gascón Appears at the Oscars 2025 After Controversy, but Avoids Red Carpet

Karla Sofía Gascón Appears at the Oscars 2025, even though she bypassed the red carpet, Karla Sofía Gascón, the controversial actress nominated for best performance for her role in ‘Emilia Pérez,’ was present at the Oscars on Sunday night, marking the conclusion of a tumultuous awards season.

Karla Sofía Gascón, the Oscar nominated star of Emilia Pérez who found herself at the heart of this season’s most significant Oscar controversy, made a comeback on Sunday at the Academy Awards marking one of her initial public appearances after weeks away.

Karla Sofía, Karla Sofía Gascón Appears at the Oscars 2025, Oscars 2025 — Credit : **https://shorturl.at/QczyK**

In the days preceding the ceremony, it remained uncertain whether the Spanish thespian, who made history as the first openly trans artist ever nominated for an Academy Award for acting, would show up at the Oscars 2025 after a social media uproar erupted following the discovery of various old racist and Islamophobic remarks unearthed from her X account through a viral post by writer-podcaster Sarah Hagi.

However,Gascón, who portrays a transgender Mexican drug lord in the film, oscillated between expressing remorse and standing her ground in various other statements and an interview. “I have faced judgment, condemnation, sacrifice, crucifixion, and stones thrown at me without a trial and with no opportunity to defend myself,” Karla Sofía Gascón stated in one such interview, as translated from Spanish by CNN.

Gascón first expressed regret for the messages she had crafted in Spanish. “As an individual from a disadvantaged community, I understand this anguish intimately and I sincerely apologize to those whom I have hurt,” Gascón stated in her initial public acknowledgment. “Throughout my life, I have striven for a more just world. I trust that illumination will ultimately prevail over obscurity.”

Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez spotted inside the #Oscars 2025 pic.twitter.com/NvjR2dYKAf
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 2, 2025

Karla Sofía Gascón seemed to bypass the red carpet and the media that gathered there making her entrance inside the auditorium just as the ceremony was about to kick off. She donned a long, black, intricately beaded dress and styled her hair in a side swept fashion, taking a seat in front of her Emilia Pérez co-star Selena Gomez.

She made her debut during Conan O’Brien’s stand-up routine, following a jest from the comedian regarding the likely frequency of expletives her team may have used throughout this awards season. He then addressed Karla Sofía Gascón directly as the camera focused on her in the audience, stating, ‘If you’re going to tweet about the Oscars, just remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.’

Karla Sofía Gascón faced immediate backlash after several tweets from 2020 and 2021 gained traction following her Oscar nomination. These included derogatory remarks about Muslims, discussions on diversity at the Oscars, and commentary on the death of George Floyd.

She swiftly issued an apology, stating, ‘I want to recognize the dialogue surrounding my past social media posts that have inflicted harm. As a member of a marginalized community, I am all too familiar with this pain and I sincerely apologize to those I have hurt. Throughout my life, I have advocated for a better world. I believe that light will inevitably overcome darkness.’

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Prior to the controversy, Emilia Pérez had been celebrated with acclaim from critics. Its cast, featuring Gascón, took home the acting award at the Cannes Film Festival; the film itself secured the Golden Globe for the finest musical or comedy. In additionGascón’s recognition, Emilia Pérez amassed 12 other Academy Award nominations, which included best picture, best international feature, and two song nominations.

Despite the film garnering the highest number of nominations of any film this year, its aspirations for best picture were crushed following the controversy. Nevertheless, one nominee from the film has braved the upheaval: Zoe Saldaña clinched the supporting-actress accolade.

Following the outbreak of controversy, others connected with the film began to voice their opinions. Saldaña mentioned at a panel in London that she was “still absorbing” everything, but she clarified that she does not endorse the views expressed in Gascón’s prior posts: “I have zero tolerance for any harmful language directed towards individuals from any community,” she stated.

Her costar Selena Gomez also chimed in when questioned about the uproar, declaring, “Some of the enchantment has faded, yet I choose to carry on feeling pride in my work, and I’m just thankful. I live life without regrets.”

Meanwhile, director Jacques Audiard disclosed that he has distanced himself from Gascón. “I haven’t communicated with her, and I don’t wish to,” he expressed in an interview with Deadline. “She is on a self-sabotaging path that I can’t intervene in, and I truly don’t grasp why she persists.”

After her costars and director commented, Gascón, who had deactivated her X account, declared on Instagram that she would refrain from posting or conducting any further interviews, expressing her hope that “my silence will enable the film to be valued for what it is, a stunning tribute to love and diversity.”

She followed through with this, keeping a low profile until just two days before the Oscars when she made a brief appearance at the César Awards in Paris but steered clear of interviews there. Her presence at the Oscars ultimately concludes what has been one of the most tumultuous journeys for any nominee. However, despite attending the ceremony, Gascón might not have appreciated the jokes host Conan O’Brien made at her expense during his opening monologue.

“Anora drops the Fword 479 times. That’s three more than the record held by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist,” O’Brien quipped, adding one last jab: “Karla, if you plan to tweet about the Oscars, remember: My name is Jimmy Kimmel.”

This year, along with our Oscarweek events, Vanity Fair is backing the efforts of two local organizations supporting Angelenos: the Motion Picture & Television Fund and Baby2Baby. We encourage donations to these or other charities assisting families and the community.

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“Emilia Pérez” garnered 13 Academy Award nominations, including nods for best picture and best director. Karla Sofía Gascón’s recognition was significant as she became the first openly trans woman to receive a best actress nomination.

Karla Sofía Gascón made her initial post-controversy red carpet appearance at the César Awards in Paris on Friday evening. Zoe Saldaña, Gascón’s co-star in “Emilia Pérez,” swiftly condemned the resurfaced tweets.

“I am still processing all that has unfolded in the past few days, and I feel sorrowful,” she expressed. “It’s disheartening because I do not endorse [it], and I have zero tolerance for any harmful discourse directed at any group. I can only affirm the experiences I had with each person involved in this film, and my interactions with them revolved around inclusivity, partnership, and equity across racial, cultural, and gender lines. And it truly saddens me. It pains me that we are confronting this setback at this time.”