Oscar Hopeful Karla Sofia Gascon Steps Back Amid Social Media Scandal

Actor Karla Sofia Gascon appeared to step back Friday from the Oscar campaign for her hit Netflix narco-musical Emilia Perez after her offensive past social media posts damaged the film's chances of glory.

Gascon, the first transgender woman nominated for best actress, plays a Mexican cartel boss in the movie, which won a record number of Oscar nominations for a foreign-language film.

The 52-year-old said she hoped "my silence will allow the film to be appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to love and difference."

Last week's unearthing of old posts by the Spanish star denigrating Islam and African American George Floyd has unleashed a scandal that has harmed her reputation and the film.

Gascon said she decided after the movie's French director Jacques Audiard this week called the posts "inexcusable" and "absolutely hateful."

FILE PHOTO: Cast members Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez attend a screening of the film Emilia Perez on the opening night of the 28th Annual American French Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

"I decided, for the film, for Jacques, for the cast, for the incredible crew who deserves it, for the beautiful adventure we all had together, to let the work talk for itself," Gascon wrote on Instagram.

"I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been hurt along the way," the Spaniard, who was writing in English, added.

Gascon stars as a drug cartel boss who transitions to life as a woman and turns her back on crime in the highly unusual musical thriller.

The mostly Spanish-language movie, filmed in France and set in Mexico, was nominated for 13 Oscars, 11 BAFTAs—Britain's equivalent to the Oscars—and 12 Cesars in France.

It won four Golden Globes in January, including for best comedy or musical, and multiple prizes at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

Before the scandal broke, Gascon was considered a frontrunner for Best Actor at the Oscars, and pundits viewed the film as a strong contender for the Best Picture award.

Hollywood trade outlets reported that Netflix, the distributor banking on "Emilia Perez" for its first Best Picture Oscar, had dropped her from its campaign and distanced itself from the Best Actress nominee.