Karla Sofia Gascón is opening up about the controversy that overshadowed her historic awards season.
The Emilia Pérez star, 52, made history as the first openly trans actress nominated for Best Actress at the 2025 Oscars. Her performance in the musical crime drama had critics and audiences buzzing, positioning her as a frontrunner for the award. However, as the race heated up, resurfaced social media posts sparked backlash, derailing what should have been a celebratory moment in her career.
Amid the controversy, Karla skipped multiple awards events, including key industry gatherings. However, she did attend the Oscars, where the situation was even referenced during the ceremony’s opening monologue. Now, in the wake of the awards season, she is speaking out about the emotional toll the experience took on her.
In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Karla reflected on the highs and lows of her journey. Despite the challenges, she shared that she still appreciated being part of Hollywood’s biggest night.
“I loved the [Oscars] ceremony,” she said. “I found it very enjoyable.”
However, she admitted that she wished she could have experienced the entire awards season differently.
“I would have liked to experience it more normally, from the happiness of being nominated, of celebrating, as I am now, full of love, a person who puts her soul and her being into her work and who gives herself to others,” she explained. “I am very grateful to return and for how my colleagues and the professionals of the Hollywood industry received me. I am grateful to the academy, to Netflix, and to the production.”
Karla once again apologized for her past social media posts, acknowledging the hurt they caused.
“I recognize that my words came from fear, from my own ignorance, from my own pain,” she said.
She described the backlash as an “unexpected, devastating storm” that deeply affected her mental and emotional well-being.
“The pain has been so overwhelming that I contemplated the unthinkable,” she admitted.
Reflecting on her darkest moments, Karla shared how deeply the situation impacted her mental health.
“I harbored darker thoughts than those I considered in some of my previous, no less intimate and personal struggles,” she revealed. “And I asked myself: if I, with all my strength and preparedness to deal with rage and rejection, am on the edge, what would have become of someone with fewer emotional resources to resist this onslaught? Somehow, I made it. Others would not have survived this brutal winter I am about to wrap up.”
Now that the awards season has come to a close, Karla hopes she has weathered the worst of the controversy. She is taking time to reflect on the experience and focus on moving forward.
While the past few months have been challenging, her historic nomination remains a landmark moment for trans representation in Hollywood. Despite the backlash, she received significant support from colleagues in the industry, and her work in Emilia Pérez continues to be widely praised.
As she turns the page on this chapter, Karla remains hopeful for the future—both personally and professionally.
“I hope the worst has passed,” she said.
