Netflix has taken the extraordinary step of removing best actress Oscar nominee Karla Sofia Gascón from its Academy Awards campaign for Emilia Perez, cancelling appearances by the transgender performer and deleting any reference to Gascón from its Oscar-themed advertisements.
The decision comes as Karla Sofia Gascón — the first transgender performer ever nominated for an Oscar — continues to face widespread blowback over old social media posts in which the performer insulted Muslims, called George Floyd a “hustler,” and made disparaging remarks about black and Asian actors.
The scandal has taken Hollywood by storm at the height of awards season. Many industry insiders are wondering how Netflix’s formidable publicity department could have missed Gascón’s old tweets before pouring a rumored $30 million into the Emilia Perez campaign.
At the very least, Emilia Perez’s frontrunner status now appears to be in serious jeopardy as Academy members prepare to cast their final ballots ahead of the March 2 ceremony.
Recent for-your-consideration ads for Emilia Perez don’t mention Gascón at all — focusing on other categories, including co-star and supporting actress nominee Zoe Saldaña.
Gascón, who hails from Spain, will no longer appear at a series of pre-Oscar events in Los Angeles — including the Directors Guild Awards, Producers Guild Awards, AFI Luncheon, and Critics’ Choice Awards — according to unnamed sources who confided to The Hollywood Reporter.
In addition, Gascón will be a no-show at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which is a key stop on the Oscars campaign trail.
Netflix’s relationship with Gascón has reportedly deteriorated to a state where they are reportedly communicating through the performer’s agent.
As Breitbart News reported, Gascón posted a lengthy apology late last week for the past tweets, saying “I am not a racist.” The performer also appeared on CNN en Español over the weekend, repeatedly breaking down in tears while apologizing.
Until recently, Emilia Perez enjoyed frontrunner status in this year’s Oscars race, with 13 nominations including best picture, director, actress, supporting actress, and foreign language film. The French-produced, mostly Spanish language movie is an unconventional musical about a cartel boss (Gascón) who decides to exit the drug trade by undergoing a sex-change operation.
The 97th annual Academy Awards will air March 2 on ABC.
