Zoe Saldana, an American actress, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the controversy surrounding her Emilia Perez co-star, Karla Sofia Gascon.
“I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad,” she began.
“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 added, “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.”
Gascon released an apology and ended up deleting her X, formerly known as Twitter, account after several offensive tweets resurfaced where she criticized Muslim Culture, the Black Lives Movement, made xenophobic comments and more.
To the Hollywood Reporter, Gascon stated, “I apologize again if anyone has ever felt offended or in the future. I am a human being who also made, makes and will make mistakes from which I will learn. I am not perfect."
Saldana continued, “It saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now. But I’m happy that you’re all here and that you’re all still showing up for Emilia because the message that this film has is so powerful and the change that it can bring forward to communities that are marginalized day in and day out is important.”
The Avatar star concluded, “All that I can attest is that all of us that came together to tell this story, we came together for love and for respect and curiosity, and we will continue to spread that message. That’s all we can say right now. Thank you.”