Karla Sofía Gascón, the first transgender performer to be nominated for an Academy Award, has been called out for offensive tweets from as recently as four years ago. The tweets, written in Spanish, expressed anti-Muslim and anti-Catholic sentiments, as well as criticism of George Floyd, who was a black man who died at the hands of police. Gascón also made negative comments about the Oscars, referring to a past ceremony as an “Afro-Korean festival” and a “Black Lives Matter demonstration”.
Gascón’s tweets have sparked widespread backlash, with many calling for her to be stripped of her nomination. The backlash has also had a significant impact on the film “Emilia Perez”, which was the Best Picture frontrunner and was expected to win. The film’s chances of winning are now considered to be minimal, and Gascón’s nomination has been all but withdrawn.
Gascón has deleted her Twitter account and released a statement in which she expressed her regret for her past tweets. However, many have criticized her apology as insufficient, and her chances of winning the Oscar are now considered to be virtually zero. The controversy has also raised questions about the impact that a nominee’s past behavior can have on their chances of winning an award.
