Zoe Saldaña Speaks Out on Emilia Perez Co-Star Karla Sofía Gascón's Racist Tweets: 'Don’t Have Any Tolerance'

Zoe Saldaña is deeply saddened by the controversy surrounding Emilia Perez’s co-star Karla Sofía Gascón's racist social media posts. Read on to know what the actress said.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Feb 01, 2025 | 02:13 PM IST | 65.1K

CC: Getty Images

Zoe Saldaña has broken her silence over the backlash surrounding her Emilia Pérez co-star Karla Sofía Gascón, whose resurfaced tweets from 2019-2020 have been widely condemned as racist.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar-nominated actress spoke out for the first time about the controversy at a Q&A event in London on Friday. She expressed sadness over the situation and reaffirmed her stance against intolerance.

Speaking alongside writer-director Jacques Audiard and composers Camille and Clément Ducol, Saldaña noted that she was still trying to process what had happened. She said, "I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad."

She labeled the situation upsetting and explained that she didn't support and wouldn't abide by or tolerate any discriminatory speech. Gascón, who was scheduled to appear, couldn’t attend the event.

Saldaña added, "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."

The Avatar actress reflected on her own experiences working on the movie Emilia Pérez. She testified to the film's commitment to inclusivity, collaboration, and equity across racial, cultural, and gender lines. She pointed out that the interactions she had with the cast and crew had been defined by these values, which made the controversy particularly disheartening for her.

While acknowledging the problem that this circumstance presented, Saldaña noted that she remains grateful for people's continued backing of the movie. She reiterated her emphasis on what the movie should focus on and how important that message was—especially for marginalized communities—to improve the quality rather than wallowing in this negative circumstance.

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She said, "It saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now. But I’m happy that you’re all here and that you’re all still showing up for Emilia because the message that this film has is so powerful, and the change that it can bring forward to communities that are marginalized day in and day out is important."

However, Saldaña ensured that the set remained totally in line with the film's core values.

"And all that I can attest is that all of us that came together to tell this story; we came together for love and for respect and curiosity, and we will continue to spread that message," she concluded.

Zoe Saldaña stood firm on the film's core values, insisting that it was a gathering of people brought together by a spirit of love, respect, and curiosity. She reiterated her commitment to those ideals, even in the midst of controversy.