Zoe Saldaña addressed fresh Emilia Pérez controversy after taking home Best Supporting Actress at the 97th Academy Awards.
Right after winning her trophy, the actress faced questions in the Oscars press room where a journalist claimed the film’s portrayal of Mexican culture was “really hurtful” to Mexicans.
“First of all, I’m very, very sorry that many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We spoke from a place of love,” responded Saldaña, who has Dominican and Puerto Rican roots.
“I don’t share your opinion,” she added. “For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We were making a film about friendship. We were making a film about four women.”
The actress explained that the women in the musical crime comedy-drama, including transgender lead Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz, “could have been Russian, could have been Dominican, could have been Black from Detroit, could have been from Israel, could have been from Gaza.”
She noted that the female characters “are still very universal women that are struggling every day” but were “trying to survive systemic oppression and trying to find the most authentic voices.”
“So I will stand by that, but I’m also always open to sit down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters, with love and respect, [to have] a great conversation on how ‘Emilia Pérez’ could have been done better. I welcome it,” she concluded.
Though Emilia Pérez scored two Oscars, including Best Original Song for El Mal, the film has faced serious controversy, including disturbing tweets Gascón posted just four years ago. In her rant, Gascón attacked 2021 Oscar winners, primarily films starring performers from marginalized communities.
While Gascón claimed her Emilia Pérez costars backed her “200 percent” during the controversy, Saldaña publicly denied this.
“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 actress stated during a London Q&A last month.
