Karla Sofìa Gascón’s “Emilia Pérez” co-star Zoe Saldaña said she’s “saddened” by Gascón’s resurfaced, racist tweets, adding that she “does not support” the actresses’ past statements.
“I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad,” the actress said during a Q&A in London on Friday. “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. I can only attest to the experience that I had with each and every individual that was a part, that is a part, of this film, and my experience and my interactions with them was about inclusivity and collaboration and racial, cultural, and gender equity. And it just saddens me.”
Gascón herself apologized for the tweets on Thursday, saying, “”I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt. As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”
In posts originally in Spanish and later translated into English, Gascón expressed support for banning religions that “go against European values” in Spain.
“Sorry, is it just my impression or are there more and more Muslims in Spain? Every time I go to pick up my daughter from school there are more women with their hair covered and their skirts down to their heels,” she Gascón wrote in November 2020. “Maybe next year instead of English we’ll have to teach Arabic.”
“Until we ban religions that go against European values and violate human rights, such as Islam, under the protection of freedom of worship, we will not end part of the huge problem we face. Faith manipulates those who cling to faith,” she also said.
In other since-deleted posts, she also criticized the reaction to George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
