Karla Sofia Gascón made her presence felt at the Oscars ceremony despite skipping the red carpet, following backlash over her resurfaced social media posts.
The Spanish actress, known for her groundbreaking nomination as the first openly transgender woman in the Best Actress category, chose to avoid the spotlight ahead of the ceremony.
Gascón’s appearance was first noticed during Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue, where the comedian joked about the challenges her publicist might have faced this awards season.
O’Brien humorously addressed Gascón directly, quipping, “If you are going to tweet about the Oscars, remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”
The controversy erupted after old tweets from 2020 and 2021 came to light. In the posts, Karla Sofia Gascón made critical comments about the diversity at the 2021 Oscars, comparing the ceremony to a political demonstration.
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She also referred to George Floyd, whose death at the hands of a police officer sparked global protests, in derogatory terms. Additionally, she shared posts that were seen as offensive towards Muslims.
Facing widespread criticism, Gascón issued an apology through Variety. “I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt. As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness,” she said.
The resurfaced posts cast a shadow over what was otherwise a historic moment for Gascón. Her film ‘Emilia Pérez’ earned 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.