Selena Gomez is addressing the recent controversy surrounding her film Emilia Pérez, amid backlash over her co-star Karla Sofía Gascón’s resurfaced offensive social media comments.
At the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday, Gomez was asked how she was holding up. She responded, “I’m good. I’m really good. Some of the magic has disappeared, but I choose to continue to be proud of what I’ve done, and I’m just grateful.”
She went on to add, “I live with no regrets and I would do this movie over and over again if I could,” earning applause from the audience.
Gascón, who stars in Emilia Pérez as a transgender Mexican cartel leader, has been embroiled in controversy after old social media posts, including Islamophobic remarks and criticism of George Floyd, were shared. There was also an alleged 2022 tweet in which Gascón referred to Gomez as a “rich rat” in the context of speculations about a feud between Gomez and model Hailey Bieber, Justin Bieber’s wife.
Gascón later apologized for her comments in an interview with CNN en Español’s Juan Carlos Arciniegas, but she also claimed to feel unfairly targeted, stating, “I have not committed any crime nor have I harmed anyone. I am neither racist nor anything that all these people have tried to make others believe I am.”
Gascón, who is transgender, has been gaining recognition this awards season as the first openly transgender performer to be nominated for an Academy Award in an acting category.
Another co-star of Emilia Pérez, Zoe Saldaña, also addressed the controversy. She shared her disappointment, saying, “I’m very sad. I’m also disappointed,” in a recent episode of the Awards Circuit podcast.
Story by Obaapa Janee
