‘Emilia Pérez’ Star Karla Sofía Gascón Says ‘I Am Not a Racist’ Amid Backlash Over Offensive Tweets: ‘I Have Been Judged and Condemned Without Trial’

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On the weekend, actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who plays Emilia Pérez on a popular show, posted a detailed reply on Instagram regarding some old, contentious social media comments that re-emerged on Thursday, previously shared on X (formerly known as Twitter).

With an image of a Nichiren Buddhist symbol and the phrase, “As with ‘Emilia Pérez’: We all can strive for improvement. Me included,” Gascón penned, “They have already won the upper hand. To start, I would like to humbly ask for forgiveness from those who may have been hurt by my words at any point in my life. I still have much to learn in this world, and my approach to learning is one of my greatest flaws. Life has shown me a lesson I never wished to learn: it’s becoming clearer to me that no matter how sincere my message may be, if not delivered with care, it can easily be misconstrued.

She added, “In less than half a year, I’ve transitioned from living an ordinary life to leading at the peak of my career. Now, the weight of my responsibility is significant because my voice no longer solely represents me, but also countless individuals who find themselves reflected in or inspired by me.

Gascón has shared that over the past few years, she has found Nichiren Buddhism to be a significant source of guidance in her life. She feels it has not only transformed her personally but also improved those around her. She acknowledges that she is not the same individual she was ten years ago, attributing this change to her religious transition. Despite this, she admits she was far from perfect even then and continues to strive for improvement today. Many of the tweets being discussed were posted in 2020 and afterwards.

Later on, Gascón expressed her stance more emphatically, reiterating her initial point by saying, “They have triumphed in their attempt to smear my reputation with falsehoods or misrepresentations. To those who truly know me, it’s clear that I am not a racist, and one of the most significant individuals in my life is Muslim. The accusations against me, made without trial and without opportunity for explanation, are unfounded. Throughout my life, I have advocated for a fairer society and a world characterized by freedom, peace, and love. I will never endorse wars, religious extremism, or the suppression of races and peoples.

She commented, “They’ve made it appear as if I’m posting insults, even toward my own colleagues. They’re twisting things I wrote to praise into criticisms, turning jokes into realities, words that without context could be interpreted as hate. It seems like all of this is happening because I’m not winning or succeeding.

In conclusion, Gascón ended with a quote from her mother, who said, “I don’t care much if you achieve anything, I just want you to be safe and unhurt.” Gascón then revealed her response: “‘Mother, this life has brought me here to spread a message of hope and love to the world, and I will do it.’

Initially considered a strong candidate for the Best Actress award in this year’s Academy Awards, Gascón faced criticism on Thursday following Sarah Hagi’s discovery of controversial posts. The account was later deleted after certain posts were taken down. In these posts, Gascón expressed polarizing opinions about George Floyd, Muslims, and diversity at the Oscars.

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2025-02-01 21:17