Zoe Saldana defends initial response to Karla Sofia Gascon controversy

‘Avatar’ star’s first comment on the furore was branded ‘media trained’

Zoe Saldaña has defended her initial response to the controversy surrounding her Emilia Pérez co-star Karla Sofía Gascón.

Best Actress nominee Gascón’s award chances have been destroyed after she faced accusations of racism and Islamophobia when old social media posts resurfaced.

When the controversy first reared its head on 30 January, Saldaña, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actress, was asked point blank about the subject during a Q&A in London, and many on social media described her answer as being too media trained.

She said at the time: “I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad. 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.

She continued: “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.”

Now, one day after the film’s director Jacques Audiard said he does not want to “talk” to Gascón, whom he called “self-destructive”, Saldaña has set the record straight on her original response.

She told Variety as part of the Awards Circuit Podcast: "You may believe that it's just a statement I came up with alongside my team, but at the end of the day, when I can't speak on behalf of anyone else, I can only speak on behalf of myself and what I witnessed. And that needs to be enough for now.

“I'm still processing. I certainly think that this is a learning experience. Everything in life is a learning experience for all of us. And the point of uncomfortable events is for the sake of evolution. So I hope that we continue moving in the right direction."

She said she is “sad” about the situation, adding: “Time and time again, that's the word because that is the sentiment that has been living in my chest since everything happened.”

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Saldaña also said she is “disappointed” with Gascón.

‘ Emilia Pérez’ stars Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón (Getty Images)

“I can't speak for other people's actions. All I can attest to is my experience, and never in a million years did I ever believe that we would be here. I can't attest to what people do in their private time with their private handles.”

Meanwhile, Audiard told Deadline on Wednesday (5 February): "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. It’s as if you fall into a hole. Because what Karla Sofía said is inexcusable."

The Oscars take place on Sunday 2 March.