2025 Oscars Viewers Left 'Disgusted' As 'Emilia Perez' Star Karla Sofía Gascón Attends Awards Ceremony and Receives Applause After Racist Tweets Resurface — 'Appalling That She’s There'
Gascon's appearance shocked viewers.
March 2 2025, Published 7:58 p.m. ET
Karla Sofía Gascón may have been dropped from the Emilia Perez Oscars campaign, but her controversial presence was felt almost immediately at the show, RadarOnline.com can report.
Gascón, the title-character star of the Oscar-nominated favorite, found herself on the outs of her own movie after shocking social media posts about Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars resurfaced.
The best actress nominee was the target of a joke from host Conan O'Brien.
Gascon's presence was a surprise to some. Her acknowledgement at the hands of Oscars host Conan O'Brien shocked the room packed with her peers.
During his opening monologue, O'Brien joked: "Anora uses the F-word 479 times. That's 3 more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón's publicist."
As the crowd groaned, the host mimicked holding a phone to his ear and shouted: "What?"
While the startled audience continued to settle back down, O'Brien did an uncomfortable dance on stage.
He then joked, "Karla, if you tweet about the Oscars tonight, my name is Jimmy Kimmel."
Reaction online was not any better.
One person on X tweeted: "Hollywood is so f---ing hypocritical it's actually hysterical, you spend weeks pretending to condemn Karla Sofía Gascón just to invite her to the #Oscars & have Conan on stage, giving her a f---ing warm welcome as if she hasn't eviscerated the cultures of everyone in that room."
Another added: "They all f---ing cheered and clapped for Karla Sofía Gascón. Hollywood loves to act like they embrace diversity and that they're liberal yet they all f---ing clapped for a racist, Islamophobic woman who called the 2021 Oscars an 'afro Korean festival.' Shameful."
A third said: "Was surprised he did that in front of her."
As RadarOnline.com reported, Netflix, which handled the film's U.S. distribution, canceled plans for Gascón to fly in from Spain to attend many of the awards shows or promotions.
The streamer is said to have invested millions in a big awards push for the movie, which received a leading 13 Oscar nominations, and word is tensions between the company and star are strained.
Gascón has been in damage control ever since years-old anti-Islam posts on her social media resurfaced. She has repeatedly apologized and has deleted her accounts.
One post from November 2020 read: "I'm sorry. Is it just my impression, or is there more Muslims in Spain? 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."
Netflix decided to drop her from their Oscars marketing after racist tweets resurfaced.
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She also posted about George Floyd, whose murder by Minneapolis police sparked widespread Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
Gascón wrote: "I really think that very few people ever cared about George Floyd, a drug addict swindler, but his death has served to once again demonstrate that there are people who still consider black people to be monkeys without rights and consider policemen to be assassins. They are both wrong."
There were even previously buried comments about her Emilia Perez co-star Selena Gomez, calling her a "rich rat who plays the poor b---- whenever she can."
Responding to the mounting backlash, Gascón apologized: "I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt.
"As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well, and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life, I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness."
