CNN
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Oscar nominee Karla Sofía Gascón, esteemed for her performance in “Emilia Pérez,” resolutely remains a contender for the best actress accolade, notwithstanding the tempest of outrage surrounding her contentious social media expressions.

During an interview with CNN’s Juan Carlos Arciniegas, Gascón—who recently etched her name in history as the first openly transgender actress nominated for an Oscar—extended her “most sincere apologies to all individuals who may have felt offended.”

“I cannot withdraw from an Oscar nomination as I have committed no crime nor inflicted harm upon anyone. I am neither a racist nor any of the abhorrent labels that detractors have sought to impose,” Gascón articulated to CNN.

The discord emerged following journalist Sarah Hagi’s disclosure of Gascón’s prior social media comments, wherein she expressed her discontent regarding Muslim culture, the tragic death of George Floyd, and the trajectory of the Oscars.

Following the uproar, Gascón deactivated her account on X and issued an apology: “I wish to address the dialogue surrounding my past social media contributions that have inadvertently caused harm,” she stated in a message disseminated via CNN.

“As an individual belonging to a marginalized community, I am acutely aware of such suffering and profoundly regret any pain I have inadvertently caused. My lifetime has been dedicated to advocating for a more equitable world, and I firmly believe that light ultimately triumphs over darkness.”

In one of the disputable posts, initially composed in Spanish, Gascón commented on the circumstances surrounding Floyd’s demise in 2020 during a police encounter in Minneapolis, reflecting, “I truly believe that very few actually cared about George Floyd, a fraudulent drug addict,” among other things.

The actress also expressed disparagement towards the 2021 Oscars ceremony, conducted amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, stating, “The #Oscars increasingly resemble an independent and vindictive film awards event; I was unsure whether I was witnessing an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration, or a commemoration for March 8th.”

In her CNN interview, Gascón professed to not “recognize” several resurfaced posts.

“I have been judged, condemned, sacrificed, crucified, and vilified without a semblance of trial or opportunity for self-defense,” Gascón lamented.

She further dismissed authorship of a now-deleted 2022 tweet that sought to denigrate her co-star Selena Gomez, asserting, “It is not mine; I have never uttered any derogatory remarks about my colleague, nor would I ever refer to her in such a manner.”

Gascón is nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal in “Emilia Pérez,” a Netflix musical and crime drama recounting the narrative of a Mexican drug trafficker aspiring for gender reassignment surgery, a subject that has sparked considerable debate, particularly within Mexico.

Jacques Audiard, the acclaimed French director of “Emilia Pérez,” defended the film during an interview with CNN en Español in January, asserting, “If aspects of ‘Emilia’ seem scandalous to Mexicans, I express my sincerest apologies.”