Selena Gomez breaks silence on ‘Emilia Perez’ controversy: ‘Some magic has disappeared’ but ‘no regrets’

Amid the controversy surrounding Emilia Perez, the most-nominated film at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards, singer and actor Selena Gomez has said that “some of the magic” surrounding the musical crime drama has “disappeared.”

The Jacques Audiard-directed film has faced significant backlash on social media after a series of resurfaced posts from its lead, Karla Sofia Gascon, sparked outrage.

According to Variety, the posts, shared on X, featured Gascon’s controversial views on diversity at the Oscars, as well as comments about George Floyd and Muslims.

‘No regrets’

On Sunday, Gomez spoke about the controversy at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, where she got honoured with the Virtuosos Award.

“Some of the magic has disappeared,” Gomez said. But she noted that she does not have any regrets and would “do this movie over and over again.”

“But I choose to continue to be proud of what I’ve done and I’m just grateful. I live with no regrets, and I would do this movie over and over again if I could," Variety quoted Gomez as saying.

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Gascon’s comments on Gomez

Karla Sofia Gascon had also talked about Selena Gomez in one of her posts on the social media platform, apparently calling her as a “rich rat.”

Amid the controversy, Gascon claimed in an interview with CNN en Espanol recently that the post about Gomez does not belong to her.

“Of course that’s not mine. I have never said anything about my partner. I would never refer to her that way," she said.

Gomez’s experience of being a part of Emilia Perez

Despite the controversy, Gomez said she had a "special experience" working on the film and continues to have fond memories.

“Just having someone see something in me besides the obvious was such a special experience,” Gomez said.

She stated that the film's director "really trusted" her and feels "so grateful" as it allowed him to "show people that I am capable of doing more."

"I hope this is just the beginning for me in this field,” she said.

Netflix distances itself from Karla Sofia Gascon

The OTT giant, which is the distributor of the film, had earlier distanced itself from Karla Sofia Gascon after the Oscar-nominated actor got criticised over her derogatory posts on X.

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Gascon, 52, has been nominated Best Actress at Oscars 2025 for essaying the role of a transgender crime boss in the film.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix removed Karla Sofia Gascon from promotional emails and even planned to edit the posters of the film, giving more prominence to Zoe Saldana.

FAQs

1. How many nominations has Emilia Perez received at Oscars 2025?
The film has been nominated across 13 categories at the 97th Academy Awards, including for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.

2. When will the 97th Academy Awards take place?
The Oscars 2025 is scheduled to take place at Dolby Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles on March 2.