There was a day when everyone wanted Karla Sofía Gascón. The Minister of Culture received her in his office. The President of the Government congratulated her in X. All the galas longed for her. Demi Moore messaged her. Madonna cried to meet her. Spain dreamed of another star from Alcobendas... And they will remember it because that was the reality - now fiction - just a week ago. A star had been born that no longer exists today.
On January 30, with the Oscar nomination still fresh, Canadian journalist Sarah Hagi brings to light some racist and sexist tweets by the actress posted between 2019 and 2024. Exactly eight days later, Karla Sofía Gascón is alone. Neither the Emilia Pérez team nor Netflix nor anyone outside her circle supports her. At least not publicly. And the scene that best reflects this occurs on Wednesday night.
In the midst of the storm, the actress is meeting with representatives from the Why Not production company to devise a strategy to calm the crisis, according to sources familiar with that meeting. It is at that moment when the magazine Deadline publishes the interview with director Jacques Audiard. The initial responses are a direct attack on the protagonist of his film. He accuses her of playing the "victim," labels the messages as "odious," and states that her opinions are "unforgivable."
The actress, engrossed in those lengthy conversations to end the controversy, is caught off guard. She is unaware that the filmmaker has spoken of her in those terms. And this adds to the Netflix veto in the Oscar race, the cancellation of her upcoming book, the statements against her... In just eight days, everything has crumbled. This is the reconstruction of a downfall that begins on January 30.
On that day, the Madrid native's tweets explode at the start of the Oscar race, some dating back five years and before she began her transition. They contain expressions like "damn Moor" or opinions such as "Islam is becoming an infection focus for humanity." Also, that the late George Floyd was "a druggie swindler" or that the Oscar gala seems "an Afro-Korean festival," "a Black Lives Matter demonstration," or "March 8th." In an interview with A Folha de Sâo Paulo, the actress had already accused Fernanda Torres' public relations team, also an Oscar nominee for I Am Still Here, of sabotaging her campaign with dirty tricks. The fuse was lit on a overturned barrel of gasoline.
On Friday, in an initial statement where Gascón announces she is leaving the social network X, she attributes all the controversy to "a campaign of hatred and misinformation" against her. After apologizing for her tweets, she insists that she has defended "each and every one of the minorities in this world," but also criticizes "the hypocrisy that underlies them." And on Sunday, she grants an hour-long interview on CNN in Spanish where she asserts that she will not give up her Oscar nomination. In that interview, she emphasizes that she has been "judged, condemned, sacrificed, crucified, and stoned without a trial and without the option of defense."
That marks a turning point, and the fire is now out of control. That interview, according to sources consulted by this newspaper, angers Netflix, responsible for distributing Emilia Pérez in the UK, US, and Canada. The platform has made a significant investment - around 25 million dollars, according to knowledgeable sources - for the film to win the Oscar and is unaware of its protagonist's plans.
On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter reports that the streaming company has banned the Spanish actress from its promotion for the Oscars and for the pre-awards in Los Angeles. It will not cover her travel or accommodations, she is not included in the coordination emails, and she does not appear on the posters. Late in the afternoon, the actress issues another statement via Instagram. "They want to apply cancel culture to me. I ask the Hollywood experts, the journalists who know me and have followed my career, how to move forward?" she writes. In that text, she appeals to the "Emilia Pérez Family" and states that she felt "lost" in her transition process. Once again, this post is made without contact with Netflix.
The next morning, Minister of Culture Ernest Urtasun, who had received her on January 28 and had positioned her as an example of diversity in our country and as "an example of the talent and dedication of Spanish actresses," also publicly disavows her figure. At an event with the Vice President of the Government and leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, in Madrid, Urtasun expresses his "regret" for the messages posted on X by the artist. "The tweets we have seen, I have to regret them, they do not represent Spanish society, and I say this very sadly because it was a candidacy for the country." And when asked if he stands by his previous words after learning the content of the messages: "Those tweets have tarnished Karla Sofía Gascón's candidacy."
That same afternoon, the conversation between Gascón and the representatives of the film production company takes place to address the crisis described at the beginning of this text. And also, the publication of Jacques Audiard's interview in Deadline where he directly criticizes the protagonist of Emilia Pérez. That is the approach chosen by the Frenchman to try to save the film's and his own aspirations for the Oscars, which are almost non-existent at this point. Only Zoe Saldaña, who has barely commented on her colleague beyond acknowledging that she is "sad," seems like a realistic option. Even the victory for Best International Film is in jeopardy. The situation could benefit Aún estoy aquí by Brazilian Walter Salles, who had planned to attend Madrid last week and gave up that promotion to focus on Los Angeles.
This Thursday, the latest - at least for now - relevant events in this story unfold. This newspaper exclusively reports that the Dos Bigotes publishing house has decided to cancel the publication of Karla Sofía Gascón's new version of the autobiographical novel, Karsia, amid the controversy. The communication from the publisher to the artist had taken place the previous Monday through a direct email but had been kept secret, according to the label, to "not gain public advantage" from a decision related to "internal management."
During the morning, it is also known, through information from the EFE agency, that the actress will not attend the Goya Awards gala taking place tomorrow in Granada. Sources consulted by this newspaper assure that this decision was made on Wednesday night, although the actress had no intention of attending after the controversy over the tweets.
Months ago, the Academy of Cinema had contacted her to offer her to present one of the awards, but she declined because they coincided with several award galas in Los Angeles where she was nominated and had a chance to win. In fact, the voting for the Critics Choice Awards closed before this whole case came to light, which makes it impossible to rule out a victory for Gascón without her being present at tonight's gala.
According to several people close to the actress, she is "sad" at the moment and particularly disoriented by the words that Jacques Audiard has dedicated to her.
The actress has always defended her connection with Emilia Pérez and her relationship with the French director, and she did not expect him to address her in the terms he has. And ahead, there are still 23 days until the Oscars.