Zoe Saldaña has again responded to the controversy surrounding her Emilia Pérez co-star, Karla Sofía Gascón, who has been heavily criticised for offensive and Islamophobic social media posts.
The unearthing of these last week led to a considerable backlash for the star. Gascón has since deleted her X account and offered apologies, but has nonetheless been cold-shouldered by the film’s director, Jacques Audiard, who said on Wednesday that he had not spoken to her and didn’t want to, and its studio, Netflix.
It is understood that the streamer has removed the film’s star from campaigning materials, will no longer provide funds for her to attend events and ceremonies, and is no longer in direct contact with her.
Saldaña remains frontrunner for the best supporting actress award and has sought to distance herself from her co-star without suggesting complete ostracisation.
In an interview with Variety’s awards-focused podcast, Saldaña said the situation had left her “sad. Time and time again, that’s the word because that is the sentiment that has been living in my chest since everything happened.
“I’m also disappointed. I can’t speak for other people’s actions. All I can attest to is my experience, and never in a million years did I ever believe that we would be here.”
Audiard’s cartel musical broke records last month when it was nominated for 13 Oscars – three more than any other contender this year, and three more than any other foreign-language film ever. But the disgracing of its star has left cast, crew, and the PR firms handling the release, scrambling to recalibrate.
In a CNN Español interview at the weekend, Gascón said that Saldaña and co-star Selena Gomez “support me 200%”. Speaking to Variety, Saldaña did not comment on the claim directly, instead taking what the publication describes as “a long blink”, before reiterating comments made in London last weekend, in which she denounced bigotry and racism.
“I do not support any negative rhetoric of racism and bigotry towards any group of people,” she said. “That is what I want to stand for.”
Saldaña said she hoped the film’s legacy of inclusivity and diverse storytelling would endure past the current controversy and that she was trying to retain the positive memories she had of the shoot.
“I’m allowing myself to still experience that joy because we did come together as a team,” she said. “But we are also individuals who are responsible for everything that we say and everything that we do.”
She added that she found a considerable difference between the person Gascón appeared to be on social media and the person she worked with on set. “I can’t attest to what people do in their private time with their private handles,” she said.