A storm is brewing around Karla Sofía Gascón since it emerged last week that she had written derogatory and racist texts about Islam and Muslims on social media almost ten years ago. She also wrote derogatory comments about George Floyd, the black man who was murdered by American police in 2020.
Netflix has distanced itself from the film star – who is not allowed to participate in the campaign leading up to the Oscars.
Now, "Emilia Pérez" director Audiard is doing the same. In an interview with Deadline, he says that he has not spoken to Gascón since the scandal broke out, and that he does not want to do so either.
She is on a self-destructive path that I do not want to get involved in, and I actually do not understand why she continues. She is harming others, all those who have worked incredibly hard on this film, he says.
Karla Sofía Gascón plays the lead role in "Emilia Pérez", which is nominated for 13 Oscars at the gala on March 2. Gascón made history as the first openly trans person to be nominated for an Oscar as an actor, but she has now been stopped from participating in several of the galas arranged to promote the film ahead of the Oscars jury.
Netflix has removed Gascón from all promotional material ahead of the Oscars and is no longer paying compensation to the star so that she can attend galas and give interviews for the film.
Gascón has herself reacted strongly to the scandal and, among other things, given several interviews without permission from Netflix's PR department. "They are trying to subject me to 'cancel culture'", she has written on Instagram, among other things.
