Karla Sofia Gascón, the Oscar-nominated star of Emilia Pérez, has released a second lengthy apology after historic bigoted tweets from her X/Twitter account were uncovered.
Gascón recently made history when she became the first-ever openly trans individual nominated for an Academy Award in any acting category.
However, her nomination has been overshadowed by controversy on social media over a series of resurfaced posts from her X account expressing controversial views about Muslims, George Floyd and diversity.
Gascón moved quickly to release an apology for the posts, saying that she was “deeply sorry”. The Spanish actor has now released a long statement on Instagram, declaring: “They already won.”
“What I would like to do first is offer my sincerest apologies to those who have felt harmed for my way of expressing myself at any stage of my life,” the 52-year-old wrote, as per Deadline. “I have a lot to learn in this world, this being my main flaw. Life has taught me something I never wanted to learn: It is clear to me that no matter how much your message is one [thing], without using the correct words, it becomes another.”
“Now my responsibility is greater because my voice does not belong to only myself, but to many people that feel represented and hopeful with me.”
“I clung to Nichiren Buddhism to change my life, and the lives of those around me for the better, and I believe that’s what has happened. I cannot fix my past actions, I can only say that today I am not the same person from 10 or 20 years ago, that although I have not committed any crime, I am not perfect either, nor am I now. I only try to learn and be a better person every day.”
Gascón continued: “They have created posts as if it were me insulting even my colleagues, things I wrote to glorify as if they were criticism, jokes as if they were reality, words that without the background only seem hate. All so that I don't win anything and sink me.”
She concluded by saying: “My mother told me something beautiful yesterday: ‘I don't care if you win anything, I just want you to be well and not hurt.’ Mom, life has put me here to send a message of hope and love into this world, and I will fulfil it.”
On Thursday (30 January), journalist Sarah Hagi drew attention to a series of posts made on X, formerly Twitter, from Gascón’s account made between 2020 and 2021.
One post from November 2020 said: “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.”
Gascón also posted a string of tweets about George Floyd in the days after he was killed by a police officer in which she described him as “a drug addict swindler”.
After the Oscars in 2021, Gascón posted: “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 [Women’s Strike]. Apart from that, an ugly, ugly gala.”
