Conan O'Brien is making his Oscars presenting debut this evening - and he isn't shying away from controversy.
Karla Sofía Gascón, the first openly transgender woman to be nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, attended the 2025 Oscars on Sunday but skipped the red carpet, a decision that comes amid controversy surrounding offensive resurfaced tweets from 2020 and 2021.
The Emilia Pérez star has received widespread acclaim for her performance, helping the film secure 13 nominations, making it the most-nominated film at this year’s ceremony.
However, her awards campaign took a dramatic turn earlier this year when past social media posts surfaced, leading to allegations of racism, antisemitism, and xenophobia.
The backlash prompted Gascón to step back from the film’s promotional efforts, stating she did not want to be a “distraction” and instead hoped the movie would be seen as “a beautiful ode to love and difference.”
Despite withdrawing from campaign appearances, Gascón ultimately attended the ceremony, with Netflix covering her travel costs — a standard practice for studios supporting their nominees.
Conan O'Brien Doesn't Shy Away
Before stepping onto the Dolby Theatre stage, O’Brien appeared in a pre-taped skit inspired by The Substance, emerging dramatically from inside Demi Moore’s body—though, rather than coming out younger or hotter, he at least managed to land in a tuxedo.
“Hi, Demi. How are you?” O’Brien quipped as he finally made his way to the stage. “That was weird. Yeah, awkward. I’m missing some car keys.”
After warming up the audience, O’Brien didn’t shy away from controversy, directly addressing the ongoing backlash surrounding Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón’s resurfaced social media posts.
"Fun fact: Anora drops the F-word 479 times," O’Brien joked. "That’s three more than Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist."
Mimicking the frantic reaction of Gascón’s team, he raised his voice and exclaimed: “You tweeted WHAT?!”, before playfully dancing across the stage.
The camera then panned to Gascón, who appeared to take the joke in stride, pressing her hands together in a mock prayer gesture. Seizing the moment, O’Brien quipped, “Karla, if you’re going to tweet about the Oscars, just remember—my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”
The Controversy Surrounding Gascón’s Past Comments
The backlash against Gascón began in January 2025, when internet users resurfaced old tweets from 2020 and 2021 that included controversial remarks about Muslim culture, the Black Lives Matter movement, and diversity in Hollywood. According to Variety, she criticized the Academy Awards, claiming they favored “independent and protest films” and allegedly referred to the ceremony as an “ugly, ugly gala.”
Additional scrutiny arose when screenshots of tweets allegedly written about her Emilia Pérez co-star, Selena Gomez, went viral. In these posts, Gascón appeared to call Gomez a “rich rat” who would “never stop bothering her ex-boyfriend and his wife” (a reference to Justin and Hailey Bieber), per PEOPLE.
However, Gascón has strongly denied writing the Gomez-related tweets, telling CNN en Español: “It’s not mine, of course. I have never said anything about my colleague. I would never refer to her that way.”
Gascón’s Response: Apologies and Defiance
Following the backlash, Gascón issued multiple apologies, including an Instagram statement asking for “the most sincere forgiveness” from those hurt by her past remarks.
“I have many things to learn in this world,” she wrote. “Life has taught me something I never wanted to learn: it’s clear to me that no matter how much my message is my message, without using the proper words, [the message] can turn into another.”
Despite apologizing, she refused to withdraw from the Best Actress race, telling CNN: “I have not committed any crime or harmed anyone.”
She later deactivated her social media accounts, though she continued to push back against what she described as an attempt to “stain” her existence with lies or out-of-context remarks.
Reactions from Emilia Pérez Co-Stars and Director
The controversy has drawn mixed reactions from the Emilia Pérez team, with director Jacques Audiard and co-stars Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez each addressing the issue.
Audiard publicly distanced himself from Gascón’s comments, telling Deadline: “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.”
Saldaña also addressed the controversy during a London Q&A, saying: “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 went on to emphasize that her experience on Emilia Pérez was built on “inclusivity, collaboration, and racial, cultural, and gender equity.”
Gomez, meanwhile, admitted that the controversy has tainted the film’s success, telling an audience at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival: “I feel like some of the magic has disappeared.” However, she added that she remains proud of the project and has no regrets about being part of it.
A Complicated Night at the Oscars
While Gascón had already made a public appearance at the César Awards in France earlier this year—where she avoided speaking to the press—her decision to attend the Oscars has reignited the debate surrounding her remarks. Inside the Dolby Theatre, she was spotted sitting near Selena Gomez, though the two stars have not commented on their interaction.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the event, she expressed mixed emotions about returning to the spotlight: “I’m not sure how I feel, but I’m grateful to be back. I’m grateful to all those who’ve believed in me—to Netflix, the production company, and my colleagues.”
Despite the controversy, Emilia Pérez remains a strong contender at the awards, and Gascón’s nomination still marks a historic moment for transgender representation at the Oscars. However, with the backlash still fresh, her future in Hollywood remains uncertain.
As the Oscars continue, the question remains: Will Emilia Pérez and Gascón’s performance be remembered for its groundbreaking achievement, or will the controversy overshadow its legacy?