Oscar-Nominated Emilia Pérez Actress Faces Backlash Over Past Remarks About Youn Yuh-jung

Spanish transgender actress Karla Sofía Gascón, nominated for Best Actress at the upcoming Academy Awards, is facing severe backlash over a series of resurfaced controversial remarks, including comments about South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung and other sensitive issues.

The controversy began with a 2021 social media post Gascón made after Youn won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her role in Minari. Gascón wrote, “The Oscars are turning into an indie film festival. It feels like watching an African-Korean celebration, a Black Lives Matter protest, or a March 8 Women’s Day rally.” The original post has since been deleted, but it was recently highlighted by freelance journalist Sarah Haji, reigniting accusations of racism.

The original post has been deleted following the deactivation of Gascón’s X (formerly Twitter) account, making it difficult to verify firsthand.

However, this is not the only controversy surrounding Gascón. She previously described George Floyd as a “scammer drug addict” and criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, implying that society viewed Black individuals as “monkeys without rights.” In addition, she made Islamophobic remarks, calling Islam a “hotbed of infection for humanity” and suggesting that Arabic should replace English in schools due to the growing Muslim population in Spain. In 2022, Gascón also referred to her Emilia Pérez co-star Selena Gomez as a “rich rat” during the singer’s public feud with Hailey Bieber.

Facing mounting criticism, Gascón issued an apology in an interview with CNN, stating, “I sincerely apologize to anyone who felt offended.” However, she maintained her decision to remain in the running for the Oscars, saying, “I haven’t committed a crime or caused harm to anyone, so I will not be stepping down as a nominee.”

Gascón stars in Emilia Pérez, a film about a Mexican drug cartel leader who undergoes gender reassignment to evade law enforcement. Directed by Jacques Audiard and co-starring Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, the movie has received critical acclaim and secured 13 nominations, including Best Picture, at the 97th Academy Awards.

Praised by major outlets like Time, IndieWire, and The Hollywood Reporter as one of the best films of the year, Emilia Pérez will hit theaters on March 12.