Karla Sofía Gascón Takes to Instagram to Defend Offensive Remarks: ‘I Am Not a Racist’
Oscar nominee Karla Sofía Gascón continued to mount her defense in the aftermath of a series of past racist tweets resurfacing this week. Taking to Instagram this morning, Gascón acknowledged that she can “do better” but that her words have been corrupted.
The post featured an image of Nichiren Buddhist symbol with the words, “As with ‘Emilia Pérez’: We can all do better. Me too,” written over it. Gascón then wrote (as per Variety’s translation), “THEY ALREADY WON. The first thing I’d like to do is ask for the most sincere forgiveness from those who feel bad about the way I’ve expressed myself at any stage of my life. I have many things to learn in this world, the forms [in which I learn] are my biggest defect. Life has taught me something I never wanted to learn: it’s clear to me that no matter how much my message is my message, without using the proper words, [the message] can convert into another.”
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Gascón continued, “I have gone from living a normal life to a life at the top of my profession in just six months, now my responsibility is very great because my voice not only belongs to me but to many people who feel represented and hopeful by or with me.”
Elaborating on her connection to Nichiren Buddhism, Gascón pointed to the Japanese movement as foundational to a change she’s undergone in the last few decades.
“I’m not the same person I was 10 or 20 years ago, although I hadn’t committed any crimes I was not perfect either, I am not even perfect now,” she said. “I just try to learn and be a better person every day.”
These comments don’t acknowledge how the tweets exposed by journalist Sarah Hagi were posted in the last few years, some even just a year ago.
Ending her statement by returning to her introduction, Gascón wrote, “They have already won, they have achieved their objective, to stain my existence with lies or things taken out of context. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a racist (you will be surprised when you find out that one of the most important people in my current life and that I love the most is Muslim) nor any of the things for which I have been judged and condemned without trial and without option to explain true intention; I have always fought for a more just society and for a world of freedom, peace and love. I will never support wars, religious extremism or the oppression of races and peoples.”
She also implied that some of the posts circulating online are fake, but moreover, the entire campaign is designed to prevent her from winning future awards.
“They have created posts as if it were me insulting even my colleagues,” said Gascón. “Things that I wrote to glorify as if they were criticisms, jokes as if they were reality, words that without the background only seem like hate. Everything as long as I don’t win anything and I sink.”
Finally, Gascón shared words delivered by her mother, who said, “I care very little whether you win anything, I just care about you being okay and that no one will harm you.”
“‘Mother, this life has put me here to send a message of hope and love to this world, I will do it,’” Gascón said in response.
Having already received numerous accolades for her performance in “Emilia Pérez,” Gascón was in serious contention for Best Actress at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards but has now put the film’s entire Oscar chances at risk. Past posts found on Gascón’s now-deleted account on X, formerly known as Twitter, featured virulent attacks on the Muslim community, George Floyd, and even Oscars diversity.
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