Before the 2025 Oscars ceremony on Sunday, academy CEO Bill Kramer has come out to talk about the controversy surrounding Emilia Perez star Karla Sofia Gascón. In light of the possibility that Karla may attend the ceremony, Bill said that “all nominees are invited to attend the show”. Also read: From Conan O’ Brien’s debut as host to Timothee Chalamet’s possible historic win – what to expect from Oscars 2025?
Academy CEO on Karla Sofía Gascón controversy
Karla, 52, is the first transgender woman to get a best actress nomination.“The Academy does not condone hate speech — I want to be very clear about that. “Karla’s nomination is historic. That’s really important. She’s still a nominee. We honour that, but we do not condone hate speech,” Bill told The Hollywood Reporter.
He added that “all nominees are invited to attend the show,” and “that stands” for Karla if she chooses to show up at the event.
Bill shared, “If Karla joins us for the night, I hope there is an air of respect. We have over 200 nominees. The night is about much more than one person. We are there to celebrate all of our nominees.”
Bill has been the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2022.
About the stir
Karla, who plays the role of Emilia Pérez in the Netflix film, has been facing backlash after her years-old offensive social media posts, including racially charged comments about Black people, immigrants and Islam, resurfaced in late January. After the controversy broke, Karla, who also became the first openly transgender performer to be nominated for an Oscar in an acting category, has repeatedly apologised. She has also tried to defend herself against accusations of racism and xenophobia, in an hourlong interview with CNN en Español.
She said, “I cannot renounce a nomination because what I have done is a job and what is being valued is my acting work. And I cannot renounce a nomination either because I have not committed any crime nor have I harmed anyone, I am not a racist, nor am I anything that all these people have taken it upon themselves to try to make others believe that I am.”
Earlier this month, it was reported that Netflix dropped the actor from the Oscars campaign. She was absent from the 2025 SAG Awards, despite getting nominated, when her co-stars Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez came out onstage to talk about their film.
Now, it is being said that Karla will attend the Oscars even though she skipped the Oscars nominees dinner.
All about Oscars 2025
The 97th Academy Awards night will be hosted by Conan O’Brien and is scheduled to be held on March 2, 2025. One of the most important nights of the entertainment industry is organised at the Dolby Theatre. For the first time in his career, talk show host Conan O’Brien will take on the role of Oscars host. India is making its mark on the global film stage once again, with the short film Anuja receiving a nomination in the Best Short Film category.