Emilia Perez woes mount with Netflix said to end Oscars backing for star over online posts

Streaming giant said to distance itself from best actress nominee, Spain’s Karla Sofia Gascon, over her offensive social media posts

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Spanish actress Karla Sofia Gascon arrives for a presentation of Emilia Perez in Bogota. Colombia, on January 17, 2025. Netflix has dropped Gascon, the film’s lead actress, from its Oscar campaign, reports say. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:15pm, 5 Feb 2025Updated: 6:25pm, 5 Feb 2025

Netflix has dropped Karla Sofia Gascon, the star of Emilia Perez, from its high-profile Oscars campaign and distanced itself from the best actress nominee over her offensive social media posts, Hollywood trade outlets reported.

Images of Gascon, who made history as the first openly transgender acting nominee in Academy Awards history, had adorned posters, billboards and advertisements for the musical film, which earned 13 Oscar nods, more than any other movie this year.

But that campaign has abruptly changed tack, after old social media posts were uncovered and widely shared last week in which Gascon called Islam “an infection” and “deeply disgusting”.

Gascon also denigrated or mocked a range of subjects, including diversity efforts, China and George Floyd, the black man whose 2020 killing by police in the US state of Minnesota spurred massive protests.

Actresses Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez attend the screening of Emilia Perez at The American French Film Festival in Los Angeles. Gascon will reportedly no longer attend events promoting the film. Photo: AFP

The Spanish star, 52, initially apologised in a statement issued via Netflix and deactivated her account on X, formerly Twitter, but soon reversed course by defending herself publicly.