Yahoo News Karla Sofía Gascón Slams ‘Campaign of Hate,’ Says She’s Being Treated ‘as If I Were Responsible for Hunger and Wars’
After deleting her X account amidst an ongoing scandal about past tweets, Best Actress Oscar nominee Karla Sofía Gascón issued a statement on Friday in which she apologized once again and asked people to stop the “campaign of hate and misinformation.”
Gascón, who is the first transgender actor to be nominated for an Oscar, wrote, “If you want, you can continue attacking me as if I were responsible for hunger and wars in the world,” in a statement shared with THR.
“I have been threatened with death, insulted, abused and harassed to the point of exhaustion,” she wrote.
The actress tried to explain where her tweets came from.
“As part of this society, I have expressed my disagreement or agreement with all the related issues that have touched me and of which I have had an opinion, often erroneous, which has changed throughout my own experience,” she said. “I have always used my social media as a diary, reflections or notes, to later create stories or characters, not as something that would be scrutinized down to the last of its 140 characters, since sometimes I, myself, am not even aware of having written something negative.
The drama began when, in an interview with a Brazilian newspaper, Gascón accused the social media team for the also-nominated “I’m Still Here” of attacking her online. The Academy ruled that the criticisms, which were not directed at fellow Best Actress nominee Fernanda Torres, did not violate its regulations.
However, the news cycle shone a spotlight on past tweets of Gascón’s, including one in which she said she wanted to ban Muslims and other religions that “go against European values.”
Her “Emilia Peréz” co-star Zoe Saldaña, who is nominated for Supporting Actress Oscar, said on Friday that she is “saddened” by the racist statements and does not agree with them.
“Emilia Peréz” received 13 nominations, including Best Picture. In the musical film, Gascón plays a Mexican cartel boss who transitions to become a woman.
Here is Gascón’s full statement, translated from Spanish:
I’m sorry, but I can no longer allow this campaign of hate and misinformation to affect neither my family nor me anymore, so at their request I am closing my account on X.
I have been threatened with death, insulted, abused and harassed to the point of exhaustion.
I have a wonderful daughter to protect, whom I love madly and who supports me in everything.
I had long ago made the decision to close a social network [sic], which has taken a terrible turn, in which I have also sometimes fallen, and for which I apologize.
As part of this society, I have expressed my disagreement or agreement with all the related issues that have touched me and of which I have had an opinion, often erroneous, which has changed throughout my own experience. I have always used my social media as a diary, reflections or notes, to later create stories or characters, not as something that would be scrutinized down to the last of its 140 characters, since sometimes I, myself, am not even aware of having written something negative.
I have defended each and every one of the minorities in this world and supported freedom of religion and any action against racism and homophobia in the same way that I have criticized the hypocrisy that underlies them, because the first thing I am critical of is myself.
You will never hear me support a war, an injustice, extremism or applaud anyone who oppresses other human beings.
Perhaps my words are not correct, many times due to ignorance or pure mistake. 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. Taking my words out of context or manipulating them to hurt me is something I am not responsible for.
I am only responsible for what I say, not for what others say I say or what others interpret from what I say.
I hope to have the opportunity to give a more extensive explanation at some point.
Forgive me because I keep going from one side to the other and I cannot be responding to every single thing you bring up to try to sink me.
But if you want, you can continue attacking me as if I were responsible for hunger and wars in the world. I apologize again if I have ever offended anyone with my words in my life.
I am only Karla Sofía Gascón, an actress who has reached where very few have thanks to her effort and work, without stealing or harming anyone in this world, just trying to get them to let me live in peace, love and respect, something that seems to bother a lot of people in this world.
It is clear that there is something very dark behind it.
But I tell you something: “The more you try to sink me, the stronger it will make me. The greater the victory will be.”
Please forgive me once again if any of my words hurt you.
Sincerely, Karla.
NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO
The post Karla Sofía Gascón Slams ‘Campaign of Hate,’ Says She’s Being Treated ‘as If I Were Responsible for Hunger and Wars’ appeared first on TheWrap.
