'Emilia Pérez' director thanks 'my dear' Karla Sofía Gascón amid offensive tweets backlash

Karla Sofía Gascón has stepped back from the Oscars campaign trail amid backlash over her past tweets, but the director of "Emilia Pérez" is still showing her some love.

The controversial Netflix musical was awarded best film not in the English language at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday. In his acceptance speech, director Jacques Audiard thanked the cast and notably mentioned Gascón after he previously distanced himself from her amid the controversy.

"I would like to thank all the wonderful artists who brought this film to life and who are here with us tonight: My dear Zoe (Salda?a), my dear Selena (Gomez) ... But also you, my dear Karla Sofía, that I kiss. I'm deeply proud of what we have all achieved together. Long live 'Emilia Pérez.'"

Salda?a also mentioned Gascón's name when she won best supporting actress for the film and thanked "my wonderful cast."

In January, Gascón apologized after her old X posts on Muslims, George Floyd and more topics resurfaced.

In one resurfaced post from 2020, she wrote in Spanish, as translated by USA TODAY, "Sorry, is it just me or are there more Muslims in Spain? Every time I pick up my daughter from school there are more women with their hair covered and their skirts down to their heels. Next year instead of English, we'll have to teach Arabic …"

Netflix breaks silence on 'Emilia Pérez' actress' racist rant scandal: 'A bummer'

In another post, she described George Floyd as a "drug addict swindler" who "very few people ever cared about." And in a post about diversity at the Oscars, Gascón wrote, "More and more the #Oscars are looking like a ceremony for independent and protest films, I didn't know if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter demonstration or the 8M."

Karla Sofía Gascón apologizes for George Floyd, diversity at Oscars tweets: 'I am not a racist'

In a statement obtained by USA TODAY, Gascón acknowledged the "conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt" and said that "as someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain." In a separate statement on Instagram, she maintained that she is "not a racist."

Audiard distanced himself from Gascón in an interview with Deadline earlier this month, calling her posts "inexcusable" and saying he has not "spoken to her, and I don't want to." Meanwhile, Saldan?a said on Variety's "Awards Circuit" podcast that she felt "sad" amid the controversy, while "Emilia Pérez" star Selena Gomez said that she remains proud of the movie, but "some of the magic has disappeared."

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria also said on "The Town" podcast that the controversy is "a bummer" because it has overshadowed the "incredibly talented people who made an amazing movie."

Gascón has been quiet in recent weeks and has not attended awards shows like the Critics' Choice Awards or Sunday's BAFTAs. But at the Critics' Choice Awards, she shared the award for best song, which was given to "El Mal."

Audiard previously mentioned Gascón in a speech at the Directors Guild of America Awards this month amid the backlash, naming her as one of "my beloved actresses."

Contributing: Pamela Avila

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karla Sofia Gascon thanked by 'Emilia Pérez' director at BAFTAs