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Zoe Saldaña has officially weighed in on the Karla Sofía Gascón controversy. On Friday, Jan. 31, the actress addressed her Emilia Pérez co-star’s resurfaced problematic tweets during a Q&A session in London. Saldaña was promoting the French film amid award season when she was asked about her thoughts on the recent online drama. Although she admitted she’s “still processing everything,” Saldaña made it clear she does not condone any negativity.
How Does Zoe Saldaña Feel About the Karla Sofía Gascón Controversy?
According to a video shared by The Hollywood Reporter, the topic came up when the moderator commented on Karla Sofía Gascón’s absence during the event. Since she couldn’t attend the Q&A session, the interviewer asked Zoe Saldaña if she wanted to share a few words regarding what’s been happening online.
The Marvel star appeared just as shocked by the controversy as fans of the film. “I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad,” she said. “It makes me really sad because I don’t support [it].”
Zoe Saldaña continued by saying she doesn’t stand for “any negative rhetoric” toward “any group.” Since her experience working on the set of Emilia Pérez was all about “inclusivity and collaboration,” as well as “racial, cultural, and gender equity,” Saldaña explained feeling disappointed that the film’s importance and success has been overtaken by the drama.
The timing especially couldn’t be worse. It should have been a time for celebration for the cast and crew amid award season. “It saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now,” she said.
Despite the controversy, Saldaña expressed her gratitude toward fans for “still showing up” for the film. “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 said.
Fans Were Blindsided
Emilia Pérez is a musical crime film directed by the French filmmaker Jacques Audiard. It centers around a Mexican cartel leader’s transition into a woman. Karla Sofía Gascón plays the title character. Meanwhile, Zoe Saldaña portrays a lawyer named Rita Mora Castro, who aids in Emilia’s transition.
Both Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña have received multiple awards and nominations for their roles in the film. Selena Gomez, who takes on the role of Perez’s wife, Jessi, in the film, has also been praised for her performance.
Since Gascón and the rest of the Emilia Pérez cast have received so much critical acclaim in recent months, her resurfaced tweets came as a huge shock to fans.
After several racist and Islamophobic posts of hers came to light, the Spanish actress released a statement expressing that she was “deeply sorry” for any “hurt” she’s caused by her past actions. However, the damage had already been done. People began trending #KarlaSofíaGascónIsOverParty on Twitter/X in response to the controversy.
Since then, it appears Gascón decided to leave social media permanently. As of Friday, Jan. 31, her account has been deleted.
