Karla Sofía Gascón’s Oscars controversy explained as Netflix distances itself from actress
The Emilia Pérez star has become embroiled in scandal after social media posts revealing derogatory comments surfaced, leaving her Oscars credibility in the balance
By Dale Fox
Actress Karla Sofía Gascón made history in January 2025 as the first person who is publicly trans to be nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in Emilia Pérez.
Though her nomination was seen as a significant step forward for transgender representation in the film industry, a controversy has emerged surrounding Gascón’s past social media activity, causing a wave of backlash.
Old posts from her X (formerly Twitter) account resurfaced, revealing offensive and derogatory comments about various groups, including Muslims, Black individuals, and Asians.
The comments were swiftly condemned by social media users and industry figures alike, with calls for Gascón to address the situation directly. The controversy surrounding these remarks also quickly overshadowed her historic Oscar nomination, with the latest update being that Emilia Pérez distributor Netflix has reportedly distanced itself from the actress.
Below is a timeline of the key moments in Karla Sofía Gascón’s Oscars controversy.
23 January – Oscar nomination
The Academy announces Gascón as a Best Actress nominee for Emilia Pérez, marking a milestone for transgender representation in Hollywood.
30 January – Resurfaced social media posts
it’s so insane that karla sofía gascón still has these tweets up. straight up have never seen tweets this racist from someone actively campaigning to win an ACADEMY AWARD. there are more than a dozen… pic.twitter.com/1rcNzkJXuo
— sarah hagi (@KindaHagi) January 30, 2025
Following her nomination, old social media posts allegedly from Gascón begin circulating, after being uncovered by journalist Sarah Hagi. The posts contain derogatory comments about multiple groups, including Muslims, Black individuals, and Asians. One post refers to Islam as a “hotbed of infection for humanity,” while another criticises the Oscars for resembling an “Afro-Korean festival” or a “Black Lives Matter demonstration.”
31 January – Public apology and social media deactivation
In response to the backlash, Gascón issues a public apology, expressing regret for her past remarks. She deletes the posts and deactivates her X account. “As someone in a marginalised community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain,” she said in the apology.
2 February – CNN en Español interview
Gascón gives an interview to CNN en Español, reiterating her remorse but confirming she will not withdraw from the Oscar race. She states, “I have been judged, condemned, sacrificed, crucified, and stoned without a trial and without the option to defend myself,” adding: “I have not committed any crime, nor have I harmed anyone.” The interview receives mixed reactions, with some accepting her apology and others questioning its sincerity.
4 February – Netflix distances itself
Netflix, the distributor of Emilia Pérez, reportedly removes Gascón from its Oscars campaign, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The company also allegedly stops including her in promotional events and shifts communication to her agent instead of dealing with her directly.
The 2025 Oscars ceremony will take place on 3 March at 12:00 am GMT.