Emilia Perez actress Karla Sofía Gascón faces backlash over old racist & Islamophobic posts. Netflix drops her, the director distances himself.
Karla Sofía Gascón is facing the heat as the actress from Oscar-nominated Emilia Perez has resurfaced some old social media posts showing racist comments against George Floyd, Islamophobic statements, and sharp criticism against the Oscars. She even targeted singer Selena Gomez.
Director Steps Back
Jacques Audiard, the director of Emilia Perez, publicly disassociated himself from Gascón. He said in an interview that he was shocked and disappointed after reading her past posts.
“When you trust someone and then discover their hateful opinions, it affects the relationship. What she said is inexcusable,” he said.
Audiard also said, “She is on a self-destructive path, and I don’t understand why she is doing this to herself.”
Netflix Cuts Ties, Awards Snub
Netflix was endorsing the movie promotion and has thus severed its tenuous association with Gascón. The move also follows removing her name and face from the critics’ award guest list.
Apparently, she shall not participate further in promotional tours for the film.
What Did She Say?
A few of the insensitive posts made were:
On George Floyd: “Honestly, I think very few people actually cared about George Floyd, a drug addict swindler. His death only proved that some still see Black people as lesser and all policemen as killers.”
On the Oscars: “The Oscars now seem like a festival for independent protest films. It felt more like an Afro-Korean event or a Black Lives Matter rally.”
About Islam: “Islam is becoming the new hotbed of infection to humanity that immediately needs a cure.”
Gascón Apologizes
On this backlash, she issued an apology statement on this:
“I recognize that people are engaging about my prior posts and what pain they are causing. Deeply sorry to express my feelings. All through life, she had been trying to make it better. Believed light could never be overridden by darkness.”
However, many say that her apology is too little, too late.
This scandal has put the careers of both Emilia Perez and Gascón in jeopardy. Whether she can recover from this controversy is still uncertain.
