‘Emilia Pérez’ director Jacques Audiard breaks silence on Karla Sofía Gascón

Emilia Pérez director Jacques Audiard made it clear which side he is on.

As Emilia Pérez gears up for the final stretch of awards season, director and co-writer Jacques Audiard has distanced himself from lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón following controversy over her past social media posts.

While the film has earned 13 Oscar nominations, including nods for Zoe Saldaña and Audiard himself, Gascón’s chances appear to be diminishing, and she is reportedly not participating in this weekend’s industry events.

In an interview with Deadline, Audiard expressed his deep disappointment with Gascón, condemning her past remarks and her handling of the situation.

"It’s very hard for me to think back to the work I did with Karla Sofía. The trust we shared, the exceptional atmosphere that we had on the set that was indeed based on trust."

"And when you have that kind of relationship and suddenly you read something that that person has said, things that are absolutely hateful and worthy of being hated, of course that relationship is affected," he said.

"It’s as if you fall into a hole. Because what Karla Sofía said is inexcusable."

Audiard revealed that he has not spoken to Gascón and has no intention of doing so.

"I haven’t spoken to her, and I don’t want to. She is in a self-destructive approach that I can’t interfere in, and I really don’t understand why she’s continuing. Why is she harming herself? Why? I don’t understand it, and what I don’t understand about this too is why she’s harming people who were very close to her," he stated.

"I’m thinking of myself, I’m thinking of Zoe [Saldaña] and Selena [Gomez]. I just don’t understand why she’s continuing to harm us."

He also criticized Gascón’s response to the backlash, noting a lack of genuine remorse.

"She’s really playing the victim. She’s talking about herself as a victim, which is surprising. It’s as if she thought that words don’t hurt," Audiard added.

Despite the controversy, Netflix continues to push Emilia Pérez in the awards race, though Gascón’s absence from promotional events signals a clear rift within the film’s team.