In a major shakeup surrounding the awards season for the Oscar-nominated Emilia Pérez, Karla Sofía Gascón, the star of the acclaimed film, has reportedly reduced her public appearances and shifted her focus amid the fallout from controversial statements resurfacing from her past. These statements, which have sparked significant backlash, have cast a shadow over Gascón’s campaign as she continues to navigate the public relations storm.
Several sources have confirmed that Gascón, who was previously set to attend the Critics Choice Awards, where she is nominated for Best Actress, will now be absent from the ceremony. The awards, which will take place this Friday, have already attracted a fair share of attention given that Emilia Pérez earned ten nominations, including for the Best Actress category. However, these nominations were made before the controversial remarks made by Gascón were uncovered, and voting had already closed by the time the news broke.
What’s more, Gascón was also expected to present at the PGA Awards on Saturday, but she will not be appearing at that event either. Additionally, a previously planned For Your Consideration (FYC) panel dedicated to Emilia Pérez that was slated for Wednesday has also undergone a significant change. Gascón, who was initially listed as one of the participants, has now been removed from the lineup, highlighting the shifting dynamics surrounding her public persona.
Instead of attending these major U.S. events, Gascón is reportedly heading to her home country, Spain, to attend the prestigious Goya Awards this Saturday. While she is nominated for Best European Film for her role in Emilia Pérez, it is notable that she is not up for Best Actress in this particular award ceremony. Still, the decision to focus on the Goyas rather than the awards season events in the U.S. signals a shift in priorities as Gascón continues to weather the storm created by her past comments.
Sources close to Gascón have shared that her current whereabouts are in Spain, and her appearances appear to be subject to ongoing adjustments. Her U.S.-based representatives, including those from UTA and the PR firm Lede, along with Netflix, which holds the distribution rights for Emilia Pérez in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., are reportedly not fully aligned with Gascón’s post-controversy strategy. While these representatives have been left in the dark regarding Gascón’s more recent moves, such as social media posts and an interview on CNN en Español, the situation has undoubtedly become more fluid as the backlash continues to unfold.
In an interview with CNN en Español, Gascón made a public statement attempting to defend herself, claiming she was “not racist” in response to the unearthing of past tweets that included racist and Islamophobic comments. The tweets, which included derogatory remarks about George Floyd and the 93rd Academy Awards, were widely criticized and led to a rapid breakdown in communication between Gascón’s team and her various representation networks. The actress’s public statements and social media posts following the scandal have only further complicated her campaign during the crucial awards season period.
Despite the controversy, there has been no indication that Netflix has discussed reducing their spending on awards-season activities or adjusting their strategy to mitigate the negative impact on Emilia Pérez. Typically, nominees for major awards like Best Actress are provided with travel accommodations and a stylist stipend for appearances at awards events. However, sources say that Netflix has not yet taken any formal steps to curtail these expenses, even as Gascón’s involvement in the campaign seems to be lessening.
The company’s strategy has appeared to shift focus in light of the controversy. While Gascón’s role in the film remains significant, Netflix’s current FYC efforts have placed more emphasis on other areas, particularly the film’s Supporting Actress nominee, Zoe Saldaña, as well as Emilia Pérez’s chances in the Best Picture and Best Song categories. This shift may be driven by the recent Golden Globe wins in those categories, which have provided a boost in momentum. Still, there’s no denying that Gascón’s scandal is casting a long shadow, and it appears Netflix is actively working to reduce the potential impact on the other 12 Oscar nominations for the film.
This shift in focus is particularly evident in a recent FYC ad for Emilia Pérez, which made waves by not featuring Gascón at all. Instead, the spotlight was directed at the supporting performances and the broader film's achievements. The ad's omission of Gascón signals that Netflix is making strategic adjustments in order to minimize the effects of her scandal on the overall campaign, particularly as the film remains a strong contender in multiple categories.
Looking ahead, it remains unclear whether Gascón will attend upcoming events like the SAG Awards, where she is nominated for Best Female Actor, alongside Emilia Pérez’s Ensemble Cast and Zoe Saldaña’s Best Supporting Actress nomination. Voting for the SAG Awards closes on February 21, and there are only a few weeks left for Gascón to potentially make an appearance. Similarly, as we approach the Academy Awards on March 2, the question remains whether Gascón will attend or continue to scale back her public appearances.
The controversy surrounding Gascón erupted after freelance culture writer Sarah Hagi uncovered a series of her old tweets, which included inflammatory remarks about George Floyd and the Oscars, as well as other racist and Islamophobic comments. The tweets, which had previously been deleted, resurfaced on January 30, just as voting for the PGA Awards had concluded. Gascón’s comments about George Floyd, calling him a "drug addict and a hustler," and her derogatory statement about the 93rd Oscars as an “Afro-Korean festival” following wins by Daniel Kaluuya and Yuh-Jung Youn, quickly became the focal point of a media firestorm.
As the awards season continues to unfold, all eyes will be on how Gascón’s scandal affects her chances at the SAG Awards, which will close voting on February 21, and the Oscars, which begins its second phase of voting on February 11. It remains to be seen whether this controversy will significantly hinder Emilia Pérez's chances for recognition, or if the film and its other talented cast members will be able to weather the storm and secure the accolades they deserve.
Login