Karla Sofía Gascón has said she will not withdraw from the Oscars race for best actress, despite controversy over past social media posts which showed her criticising Islam.
Gascón made history last month as the first transgender person to be nominated in an Oscars acting category, after making the shortlist for best actress for her role in the Netflix musical Emilia Pérez.
In an interview with CNN, Gascón apologised to anyone who “may have felt offended” by her posts, but said she was not racist.
She added: “I cannot step down from an Oscar nomination because I have not committed any crime, nor have I harmed anyone.”
Gascón stars opposite Zoe Saldana, who is also in the running for best supporting actress, in the film about a Mexican drug lord who changes gender.
The film leads the way with 13 Oscar nominations.
However, Gascón has since been embroiled in a storm over the old posts, which also touched on subjects including the death of George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars.
The posts from X, largely from 2020 and 2021 when it was known as Twitter, were unearthed by journalist Sarah Hagi, and subsequently reported in Variety.
Gascón subsequently deactivated her account on X and apologised for the posts.
“As someone in a marginalised community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain,” the actress said in a statement last week via Netflix, which is quoted in the Associated Press.
“All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”
Gascón told CNN she offered her “most sincere apologies to all the people who may have felt offended”.
However, she added: “I am neither racist nor anything that all these people have tried to make others believe I am.”
Gascón said she did not “recognise” some of the posts that have been found, and said she had not been given an opportunity to defend herself.
She also denied writing a derogatory post about Emilia Pérez co-star Selena Gomez.
“It’s not mine, of course, I have never said anything about my colleague, I would never refer to her that way,” Gascón said.
Emilia Pérez is the most-nominated non-English language film of all time. It is a French production set mostly in Mexico and mostly acted in Spanish.
Gascón is nominated for best actress for the film’s lead role, making her the first trans person to be nominated in an acting category (although Elliot Page was nominated for Juno in 2008, before the actor transitioned).
The film has not set Netflix alight so far and has divided opinion among those who have watched it. It has also caused controversy in Mexico, because of its depiction of the country.
Despite this, Oscar voters have given it a resounding seal of approval.
However, film critics have warned that the controversy over Gascón’s tweets may threaten the film’s overall chances at this year’s Academy Awards, which take place overnight Sunday 2 March into Monday 3 March UK time.
BBC News has approached Gascón’s representatives and Netflix for a comment.
