Karla Sofía Gascón, the star of the film “Emilia Pérez,” made a highly anticipated appearance at the 50th annual César Awards in Paris on Feb. 28. This marked her first public outing since facing backlash over her social media posts during the awards season. The Spanish actress, who made history as the Oscars’ first openly transgender acting nominee in January, graced the event in a striking solid black dress with an asymmetrical neckline. Accompanied by what appeared to be security personnel, she posed for photos and notably avoided the press line.
The Mexico-set musical-thriller “Emilia Pérez,” in which Gascón plays the title role, received a remarkable 12 nominations and emerged victorious in seven categories, including the coveted best film award. Despite the success of the film, Gascón found herself embroiled in controversy over past social media posts that were deemed offensive. Following the backlash, she deactivated her account, issued apologies, and vowed silence on the matter in a candid Instagram post on Feb. 6.
Reports indicated that Gascón was notably absent from various Los Angeles awards ceremonies throughout February, including the Critics Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the Oscars’ class photo session. However, she resurfaced at the prestigious César Awards, where she was nominated for best actress alongside her co-star Zoe Saldaña. The best actress award, however, went to Hafsia Herzi for her role in the film “Borgo.”
At the César Awards, Jacques Audiard, the director of “Emilia Pérez,” received accolades for best direction and adaptation in addition to the best film award. Although Gascón and Saldaña sat in the same row at the event, they were not seated together. Saldaña had previously expressed disappointment over Gascón’s controversial remarks and emphasized her zero tolerance for negative rhetoric towards any group.
Despite the tumultuous events leading up to the Oscars, Gascón, along with Audiard and Saldaña, remains among the nominees for the upcoming awards ceremony. A source revealed that Gascón intends to attend the Oscars, signaling her determination to move past the recent controversies. Stay tuned for the latest updates on the 97th annual Academy Awards, airing on March 2 on ABC and hosted by Conan O’Brien.
