Zoe Saldana has revealed her disappointment in Emilia Perez co-star Karla Sofía Gascón after the latter’s controversial posts have resurfaced.
“It makes me really sad because I don’t support [it], and I don’t have any tolerance for any negative rhetoric towards people of any group,” said Saldana at a recent Q+A session for the film. “I can only attest to the experience that I had with each and every individual that was a part, that is a part, of this film, and my experience and my interactions with them was about inclusivity and collaboration and racial, cultural, and gender equity. And it just saddens me.”
“It saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now,” Saldana continued. “But I’m happy that you’re all here and that you’re all still showing up for Emilia because the message that this film has is so powerful and the change that it can bring forward to communities that are marginalized day in and day out is important. And all that I can attest is that all of us that came together to tell this story, we came together for love and for respect and curiosity, and we will continue to spread that message.”
Gascón’s old tweets from years ago have gone viral due to how offensive they are. In one of them, she referred to George Floyd as a “drug addict swindler,” and then, in another, she made disparaging comments about the 2021 Oscars ceremony and the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gascón has released an apology amid the widespread criticism, acknowledging that the posts “had 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,” she said. “All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”
Gascón has also deactivated her X account. In a statement, she said that she “can no longer allow this campaign of hate and misinformation to affect neither my family nor me anymore, so at their request I am closing my account on X.”