This week, Emilia Pérez, whose lead actress Oscar nomination has garnered significant attention, was poised to jet from her Spanish home to Los Angeles for a whirlwind week dedicated to awards season promotions. On Thursday, February 6th, she was scheduled to sit alongside her writer-director, Jacques Audiard, and co-stars Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña, at the AFI Awards luncheon, a dazzling affair held at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. Here, each of AFI's top 10 films and TV shows from the past year occupied a table, facilitating an abundance of networking opportunities amidst the glittering crowd.
The following evening, Friday, February 7th, she and her colleagues would reunite at the Critics' Choice Awards, situated at a central table within Santa Monica's Barker Hangar—a colossal venue brimming with fellow nominees and hordes of journalists eager for selfies and quotes.
Saturday, February 8th, posed a conundrum for numerous talents: the Directors Guild Awards clashed with the Producers Guild Awards, and Emilia Pérez's star, Karla Sofía Gascón, found herself nominated for top honors at both. Gascón was slated to attend the PGA Awards at Century City's Fairmont Century Plaza hotel, where she was prepared to take on the role of a presenter.
Then, on Sunday, February 9th, she was meant to journey up to Santa Barbara to be celebrated as one of this year's nine Virtuoso Award recipients at a grand ceremony held at the Arlington Theatre. During this event, honorees would be interviewed individually and collectively. Among the others honored were her co-star Gomez and fellow best actress nominee Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here).
However, amidst the colossal controversy that has recently enveloped Gascón regarding comments she posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) — remarks that she has been frequently addressing on social media and in interviews without consulting or coordinating with Netflix, which holds the distribution rights for Emilia Pérez in the United States, Canada, and the UK — The Hollywood Reporter has learned that she will not be gracing the town at all.
Tensions between Gascón and the streaming giant, which has invested millions in the film's awards campaign, are reportedly sky-high. The campaign was thriving as recently as January 23rd, when the film secured a field-leading 13 Oscar nominations, just one shy of the all-time record. Yet now, at the most inopportune time, it is struggling due to Gascón's revelations.
It is said that the two parties are now communicating solely through Gascón's agent, Jeremy Barber of UTA. And to my understanding, Netflix has little interest in extending the usual studio courtesies to an Oscar contender, such as transportation and accommodations, to facilitate her attendance at the remaining awards season events.
The streamer stands as but one entity seeking to distance itself from Gascón's shadow. According to THR's insights, other attendees who were slated to accompany the actress at several aforementioned events, notably the Santa Barbara Film Festival, hinted at possibly canceling their own appearances should she fail to do so. Their concern stemmed from the potential awkwardness that her presence might breed.
Nonetheless, Gascón might still grace local awards season gatherings, such as the Goya Awards—Spain's equivalent of the Oscars, scheduled for Saturday. Her conduct, perceived less problematic in European circles than in the United States, coupled with her ability to attend these events, could sway her towards participation. Moreover, amidst her battle for a future in the industry, such appearances may well be a strategic choice.
As the Oscar voting enters its final stretch, set to commence on Tuesday, February 11, Netflix is diligently striving to shield Emilia Pérez's fellow nominees, particularly the front-runner in the Best Supporting Actress category, Saldaña, from the fallout surrounding Gascón. She has already been excised from promotional emails and ad-reads heralding the film's award prospects. While outdoor advertising adjustments lag behind, some billboards featuring Gascón's image will soon showcase her alongside other cast members, or exclude her entirely.
Ironically, Gascón's collaborators may still find themselves accepting top honors at this weekend's Critics Choice Awards (voting concluded weeks ago, on January 10) and the PGA Awards (voting wrapped up on January 30, just as Gascón's tweets came to light). Should they ascend those stages, it will be most intriguing to observe whether—and precisely how—they address her absence, adding an awkward twist to their triumphs.
