Karla Sofía Gascón Says ‘Pain’ She Felt amid Recent Controversy Was ‘Overwhelming’

Karla Sofía Gascón is opening up about how the firestorm following her recent controversy has affected her mental health.

After the end of the award season, the Emilia Pérez star, 52, reflected in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on the struggles she faced after alleged past offensive social media posts resurfaced, prompting backlash.

“In this last episode, the most talked about and most exposed of my life, several fake accounts were created in my name to add to the pain and confusion,” Gascón claimed. “Absurd and even delirious accusations were thrown at me, which deeply hurt my spirit. Things escalated to a point, and so quickly, that I couldn’t even breathe.”

“Amid this unexpected, devastating storm, there have been moments when the pain has been so overwhelming that I contemplated the unthinkable,” she continued. “I harbored darker thoughts than those I considered in some of my previous, no less intimate and personal struggles.”

The actress added that “somehow” she “made it” through and noted that “now that the storm is calming down a bit” she has been able to “start seeing clearly what I have learned” through this recent “dark moment” in her life. She said this included learning that hatred “cannot be put down with more hatred.”

“Fortunately, I have kept my one inch of sanity to see the light at the end of this tunnel of hate and understand that I must be and do better, and correct my past faults, without engaging in more darkness,” Gascón said. 

“Otherwise, if I play their game, and reciprocate and amplify all that hate others project on me, I will get lost; I will never move forward, and I won’t be able to keep helping others still stuck in the storm,” she added.

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In the lengthy statement, she also apologized to “all I have offended at any point in my life and throughout my journey.” She said she “humbly” asked for their “forgiveness” and she promised to “commit to continuing to learn and listen, so as not to make the same mistakes in the future.”

“Only through understanding, compassion, forgiveness, and empathy can we build a world where difference is not synonymous with condemnation, but with richness. A world where we can learn and grow as we go. A world where we can all put our shields aside and be ourselves,” she concluded her message.

The Spanish actress gained attention after playing the titular character in Emilia Pérez, which received the most Oscar nominations at this year’s ceremony. Gascón also made history as the first openly transgender acting nominee to be considered for the Best Actress category.

Following her historic nomination, Gascón came under fire for alleged old social media posts criticizing Muslim culture, George Floyd, diversity and more. The Spanish actress has since deactivated her X account and given several statements and interviews refuting accusations of racism.

She later shared a message on Instagram vowing to “let the work talk for itself” during awards season, adding that she hoped her “silence will allow the film to be appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to love and difference.”

She was noticeably absent from the SAG Awards and the Critics Choice Awards, though she attended the 2025 Academy Awards, where host Conan O’Brien poked fun at her controversies onstage. When the cameras panned to her, she bowed her head and blew a kiss before mouthing the words, “Thank you.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.