Spanish transgender actor Karla Sofía Gascón—born Carlos Gascón—was widely touted by the entertainment media as a shoo-in for the first-ever transgender winner of an Oscar at the 97th Acadamy Wards on March 2. Gascón has received accolades, including at the Cannes Film Festival, for his leading role in the musical crime/comedy Emilia Pérez—for which he was widely expected to win the Best Actress Oscar. However, a history of controversial social media posts now appears poised to sink Gascón’s award chances.
In a series of old social media posts, Gascón criticized a number of minority groups in what detractors claim are racist rants. The Spanish actor has especially drawn ire for referring to George Floyd—whose death sparked violent riots across the United States in 2020—as a “swindler,” and for perceived praise of genocidal German dictator Adolf Hitler.
“I’m sorry, but I can no longer allow this campaign of hate and misinformation to affect me and my family, so at their request, I am closing my account on X,” Gascón said in a statement responding to the entertainment media firestorm. He continued: “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.”
In addition to the comments about Floyd and Hitler, the Spanish actor is also accused of making Islamophobic statements and racially charged remarks.
Gascón concluded, attempting to deflect blame for his remarks onto critics of transgenderism, “It is clear that there is something very dark behind it.”
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