Emilia Pérez has made a strong showing at the 2025 Oscars with 13 nominations, but controversy surrounding its lead actress, Karla Sofía Gascón, has cast a shadow over the film’s campaign.
Gascón’s old racist and Islamophobic comments on X (formerly Twitter) recently resurfaced, prompting backlash and complicating the film’s awards season push. Now, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has weighed in on the matter—or rather, his silence has spoken volumes.
At the American Film Institute’s annual lunch on February 6, Sarandos sat with Nobody Wants This creator Erin Foster, noticeably distant from Emilia Pérez writer/director Jacques Audiard and co-star Zoe Saldaña. The seating arrangement fueled speculation that Netflix was distancing itself from the controversy.
A longtime Hollywood insider, who has worked on Academy Award campaigns, called Emilia Pérez’s situation unprecedented: “In 40 years in this business, I’ve never seen a debacle like this.” The Oscars campaign is notoriously competitive, with studios and streamers spending millions to secure trophies. However, the controversy surrounding Gascón has reportedly derailed the film’s chances at winning Best Picture. “Emilia Pérez is over for Best Picture … it imploded,” the insider stated.
Despite this, the film could still claim Best International Feature, allowing the Academy to recognize the work of the broader cast and crew without endorsing Gascón. “It’s so sad and horrible for all the people who made that wonderful film,” the insider added.
As for Gascón, she remains defiant, insisting she deserves recognition for her performance and arguing that she has not committed a “crime.” Whether the controversy will fully sink the film’s Oscar chances remains to be seen.