Zoe Saldaña has finally addressed the backlash surrounding her Emilia Pérez co-star Karla Sofía Gascón, whose resurfaced tweets from 2019-2020 have sparked outrage for their racist content.
During a Q&A event in London, The Hollywood Reporter noted that the Oscar-nominated actress expressed sadness over the situation while reaffirming her zero-tolerance stance on discrimination.
“I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad,” Saldaña said, appearing alongside writer-director Jacques Audiard and composers Camille and Clément Ducol.
She made it clear that she does not condone hateful rhetoric in any form. “It makes me really sad because I don’t support [it], and I don’t have any tolerance for any negative rhetoric towards people of any group,” she stated.
Gascón, who was originally scheduled to attend the event, was absent.
Saldaña also reflected on her experience working on Emilia Pérez, emphasizing the film’s commitment to inclusivity, equity, and collaboration across racial, cultural, and gender identities. She found the controversy disheartening but remained hopeful about the movie’s impact.
“It saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now,” she admitted. “But I’m happy that you’re all here and still showing up for Emilia because the message this film carries is so powerful. The change it can bring to marginalized communities is incredibly important.”
Despite the controversy, Saldaña stood firm in defending the film’s core values. “All of us that came together to tell this story—we did so with love, respect, and curiosity. We will continue to spread that message,” she concluded.