Zoe Saldaña Says She's 'Really Sad' OverEmilia PérezCostar Karla Sofía Gascón’s Tweets: 'I Don't Support It'

Mar. 15, 2025

Zoe Saldaña; Karla Sofía Gascón.Photo:Amy Sussman/Getty; Frazer Harrison/Getty

Amy Sussman/Getty; Frazer Harrison/Getty

Zoe Saldañais reacting to thecontroversysurrounding herEmilia PérezcostarKarla Sofía Gascón.“I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad,” Saldaña, 46, said in a London Q&A in response to the revelation of bigoted social media posts from her fellowOscarnominee, perThe Hollywood Reporter.“It makes me really sad because I don’t support [it], and I don’t have any tolerance for any negative rhetoric towards people of any group,” she continued. “I can only attest to the experience that I had with each and every individual that was a part, that is a part, of this film, and my experience and my interactions with them was about inclusivity and collaboration and racial, cultural, and gender equity. And it just saddens me.”Gascón, 52, issued an apology anddeactivatedher X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday oversince-deleted postsshe had written criticizing Muslim culture,George Floyd, diversity at the Oscars and more.In a statement toThe Hollywood Reporterthe same day, the Spanish actress mentioned a “campaign of hate and misinformation” and said, “I apologize again if anyone has ever felt offended or in the future. I am a human being who also made, makes and will make mistakes from which I will learn. I am not perfect.“Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón in ‘Emilia Pérez’.NetflixSpeaking to moderator Edith Bowman in a Q&A alongsideEmilia Pérezwriter-director Jacques Audiard and songwriters-composers Camille and Clément Ducol — an event Gascón was also scheduled to participate in, perTHR— Saldaña said, “It saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now. But I’m happy that you’re all here and that you’re all still showing up forEmiliabecause the message that this film has is so powerful and the change that it can bring forward to communities that are marginalized day in and day out is important.”She concluded, “All that I can attest is that all of us that came together to tell this story, we came together for love and for respect and curiosity, and we will continue to spread that message. That’s all we can say right now. Thank you.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.InEmilia Pérez, Saldaña plays Rita, a lawyer helping Gascón’s titular character, a Mexican drug cartel leader, fake her death and undergo her transition into a woman. The movie led the2025 Oscar nominationstally on Jan. 23 with 13 nods including best picture — the most-ever for a predominantly non-English-language film — as well as for Saldaña’s supporting and Gascón’s lead performances. Gascón is thefirst openly transgender actressin Academy Awards history.Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz and Édgar Ramírez costar.Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón in 2024.Emma McIntyre/GettyThe outrage over Gascón’s old posts is the latest in a series of controversiesEmilia Pérezhas faced since it made its Netflix debut in November. LGBTQ advocacy groupGLAADcalled it a “profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman” and a “step backward for trans representation.”Meanwhile, Gomez, 32,responded to criticismabout her Spanish speaking onscreen, while reports surfaced that Gascón’s voice was enhanced in the film with the use of controversialartificial intelligence-driven technology.Emilia Pérezis now streaming on Netflix.

Zoe Saldañais reacting to thecontroversysurrounding herEmilia PérezcostarKarla Sofía Gascón.

“I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad,” Saldaña, 46, said in a London Q&A in response to the revelation of bigoted social media posts from her fellowOscarnominee, perThe Hollywood Reporter.

“It makes me really sad because I don’t support [it], and I don’t have any tolerance for any negative rhetoric towards people of any group,” she continued. “I can only attest to the experience that I had with each and every individual that was a part, that is a part, of this film, and my experience and my interactions with them was about inclusivity and collaboration and racial, cultural, and gender equity. And it just saddens me.”

Gascón, 52, issued an apology anddeactivatedher X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday oversince-deleted postsshe had written criticizing Muslim culture,George Floyd, diversity at the Oscars and more.

In a statement toThe Hollywood Reporterthe same day, the Spanish actress mentioned a “campaign of hate and misinformation” and said, “I apologize again if anyone has ever felt offended or in the future. I am a human being who also made, makes and will make mistakes from which I will learn. I am not perfect.”

Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón in ‘Emilia Pérez’.Netflix

Netflix

Speaking to moderator Edith Bowman in a Q&A alongsideEmilia Pérezwriter-director Jacques Audiard and songwriters-composers Camille and Clément Ducol — an event Gascón was also scheduled to participate in, perTHR— Saldaña said, “It saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now. But I’m happy that you’re all here and that you’re all still showing up forEmiliabecause the message that this film has is so powerful and the change that it can bring forward to communities that are marginalized day in and day out is important.”

She concluded, “All that I can attest is that all of us that came together to tell this story, we came together for love and for respect and curiosity, and we will continue to spread that message. That’s all we can say right now. Thank you.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

InEmilia Pérez, Saldaña plays Rita, a lawyer helping Gascón’s titular character, a Mexican drug cartel leader, fake her death and undergo her transition into a woman. The movie led the2025 Oscar nominationstally on Jan. 23 with 13 nods including best picture — the most-ever for a predominantly non-English-language film — as well as for Saldaña’s supporting and Gascón’s lead performances. Gascón is thefirst openly transgender actressin Academy Awards history.Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz and Édgar Ramírez costar.

Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón in 2024.Emma McIntyre/Getty

Emma McIntyre/Getty

The outrage over Gascón’s old posts is the latest in a series of controversiesEmilia Pérezhas faced since it made its Netflix debut in November. LGBTQ advocacy groupGLAADcalled it a “profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman” and a “step backward for trans representation.”

Meanwhile, Gomez, 32,responded to criticismabout her Spanish speaking onscreen, while reports surfaced that Gascón’s voice was enhanced in the film with the use of controversialartificial intelligence-driven technology.

Emilia Pérezis now streaming on Netflix.

source: people.com