Selena Gomez addressed the racism controversy surrounding her Oscar-nominated Emilia Pérez co-star Karla Sofia Gascón at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
On Sunday night, Gomez was asked about how she was handling the chaos surrounding Emilia Pérez’s Oscar campaign and Gascón’s resurfaced offensive social media posts.
Selena Gomez replied,
“I’m really good.”
Despite the backlash, the newly-engaged singer expressed her pride in the film and her decision to be part of it.
“Some of the magic has disappeared, but I choose to continue to be proud of what I’ve done, and I’m just, I’m just grateful and live with no regrets,” she said.
She further emphasized,
“And I would do this movie over and over again if I could,” prompting applause from the audience.
The controversy began in late January when Gascón’s years-old offensive social media posts resurfaced, which included racist comments about Black people, immigrants, and Islam.
Later, Gascón, who plays the titular Emilia Pérez in the Netflix film, repeatedly apologized and attempted to defend herself against the accusations, but faced widespread criticism, including from her co-star Zoe Saldaña.
Emilia Pérez’s director, Jacques Audiard, also severed ties with Gascón, citing her past behavior as the reason.
Sofia Gascón has since announced that she will step back from speaking about the film.
