Oscar-nominated trans actress in cancel culture row as ‘racist’ and ‘anti-Islam’ tweets resurface ahead of ceremony
Oscar-nominated actress Karla Sofia Gascon has apologised for controversial social media posts about Islam, George Floyd, and Oscars diversity that resurfaced this week.
The Emilia Perez star, who made history as the first transgender performer to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, expressed deep regret for past comments in a statement released through Netflix.
The posts, dating from 2016 to 2021, included remarks criticising Muslim dress codes, describing George Floyd as “a drug addict swindler”, and questioning diversity at the Academy Awards ceremony.
Most of the controversial tweets were deleted on Thursday after they were highlighted by writer Sarah Hagi.
In one post from September 2020, Gascon wrote about Muslim women: “Islam is marvelous, without any machismo. Women are respected, and when they are so respected they are left with a little squared hole on their faces for their eyes to be visible and their mouths, but only if she behaves.”
The Emilia Perez star went on to type: “DEEPLY DISGUSTING OF HUMANITY.”
In November 2020, the 52-year-old questioned the growing Muslim presence in Spain, writing: “Every time I go to pick up my daughter from school there are more women with their hair covered and their skirts down to their heels. Next year instead of English we’ll have to teach Arabic”.
A later social media post argued “Islam fails to comply with international rights” and suggested banning religions that violate human rights.
In an August 2021 post, the performer expressed frustration with multiple faiths, writing they were “sick of islam, of christianity, of catholicism and of all the f***ing beliefs of morons that violate human rights”.
Days after George Floyd’s death in 2020, Gascon posted that “very few people ever cared about George Floyd, a drug addict swindler”, adding that his death demonstrated some people “still consider black people to be monkeys without rights”.
it’s so insane that karla sofía gascón still has these tweets up. straight up have never seen tweets this racist from someone actively campaigning to win an ACADEMY AWARD. there are more than a dozen… pic.twitter.com/1rcNzkJXuo
— sarah hagi (@KindaHagi) January 30, 2025
Gascon suggested the issue was “no longer a question of racism, but of social classes that feel threatened by each other”.
The actress also criticised the 2021 Academy Awards ceremony, writing: “More and more the #Oscars are looking like a ceremony for independent and protest films, I didn’t know if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration or the 8M”.
The Oscar-nominee described it as “an ugly, ugly gala”.
In a statement released via Netflix, Gascon acknowledged the hurt caused by the past social media posts.
“As someone in a marginalised community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain”, the statement read.
It added: “All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness”.
The apology comes as the actress has been making history in Hollywood, having already secured a Golden Globe nomination before getting the groundbreaking Oscar nod.
Emilia Perez has earned 13 Oscar nominations, a record for a non-English language film.
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Netflix will be hoping the controversy does not derail the film’s Oscar chances, with the ceremony just weeks away.
However, while Gascon has faced criticism directly, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is also facing calls to strip the actress of the Oscars nomination.
On X, one cancel called urged: “Hey @TheAcademy, your nominee is a disgusting person who hates Muslims and Islam, you cancelled Kevin Hart for old -supposedly ‘homophobic’- tweets, then you must disqualify Karla Sofía Gascón or you’re just a bunch of hypocrites!”
Others appeared to relish in the backlash Gascon was receiving for the old tweets, with a second typing: “Me liking every tweet about karla sofia gascon getting cancelled for being a racist scumbAG like yesss end her.”
And a third weighed in: “Was gonna say it’s upsetting to see the first openly trans person nominated for an Oscar be so viciously cancelled but then I saw what for. Seems like Karla Sofía Gascón is not the best person unfortunately.” (sic)