The scandal sinking an Oscars campaign
Offensive posts by Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón have caused controversy
An episode of the The Global Story podcast, hosted by BBC World Service, titled "The scandal sinking an Oscars campaign" was published on February 28, 2025 and runs 24 minutes.
February 28, 2025 ·24m · The Global Story
Summary
Emilia Pérez is the most talked-about movie of awards season. But despite a divisive premise about a Mexican drug boss seeking gender affirming surgery, it's the fallout off-screen which is causing controversy. The re-emergence of offensive tweets by its lead star, trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón, has derailed the movie's momentum. After promoters pivoted to remove her from marketing, the film has still seen significant success, but ahead of the Oscars, debate is growing about the extent to which this scandal has harmed its performance.Lucy Hockings is joined by BBC culture reporter Noor Nanji and Matthew Belloni, entertainment journalist and founder of the digital media platform, Puck. They dissect the noise around the movie, and consider what Academy voters might be thinking.The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.(Photo: Composite image of Karla Sofía Gascón, Credit: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters, and Academy Awards statuette, Credit: Caroline Brehman/EPA)Producers: Laurie Kalus and Tom KavanaghSound engineers: Phil Bull and James PiperAssistant editor: Sergi Forcada FreixasSenior news editor: China Collins
Episode Description
Emilia Pérez is the most talked-about movie of awards season. But despite a divisive premise about a Mexican drug boss seeking gender affirming surgery, it's the fallout off-screen which is causing controversy. The re-emergence of offensive tweets by its lead star, trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón, has derailed the movie's momentum. After promoters pivoted to remove her from marketing, the film has still seen significant success, but ahead of the Oscars, debate is growing about the extent to which this scandal has harmed its performance.
Lucy Hockings is joined by BBC culture reporter Noor Nanji and Matthew Belloni, entertainment journalist and founder of the digital media platform, Puck. They dissect the noise around the movie, and consider what Academy voters might be thinking.
The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.
(Photo: Composite image of Karla Sofía Gascón, Credit: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters, and Academy Awards statuette, Credit: Caroline Brehman/EPA)
Producers: Laurie Kalus and Tom Kavanagh
Sound engineers: Phil Bull and James Piper
Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas
Senior news editor: China Collins
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