Karla Sofía Gascón, the breakout star of Emilia Pérez, made history as the first openly trans actress to be nominated for Leading Actress at the BAFTAs. However, she will be absent from the ceremony due to a series of controversial past posts resurfacing on social media. Despite her historic nomination, Gascón has opted not to attend the official BAFTA guest list after the backlash from her offensive tweets, which included harmful remarks about Islam, George Floyd, and the 2021 Oscars.
In response to the controversy, Gascón announced that she has chosen not to actively campaign for awards this season, allowing her work to speak for itself. She also released a public apology, expressing regret for the hurt her past comments caused. “I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been hurt along the way,” she said in her statement.
While Gascón is stepping back from public events, her fellow nominees Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, who are competing for Supporting Actress at the 2025 BAFTAs, will attend the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
The actress’s decision to skip multiple award events like the Critics Choice Awards, PGA Awards, and the Goya Awards has drawn attention, as she seeks to avoid further media scrutiny during a highly charged awards season.