Netflix has taken the extraordinary step of removing best actress Oscar nominee Karla Sofia Gascón from its Academy Awards campaign for Emilia Perez, cancelling appearances by the transgender performer and deleting any reference to Gascón from its Oscar-themed advertisements.
The decision comes as Karla Sofia Gascón — the first transgender performer ever nominated for an Oscar — continues to face widespread blowback over old social media posts in which the performer insulted Muslims, called George Floyd a “hustler,” and made disparaging remarks about black and Asian actors.
The scandal has taken Hollywood by storm at the height of awards season. Many industry insiders are wondering how Netflix’s formidable publicity department could have missed Gascón’s old tweets before pouring a rumored $30 million into the Emilia Perez campaign.