Madonna Under Fire for Embracing Controversial Emilia Perez Actress Karla Sofia Gascón

Madonna has stirred up a storm of controversy after publicly supporting actress Karla Sofía Gascón despite the latter's involvement in a scandal over past "racist" tweets.
The 52-year-old transgender actress, who starred in "Emilia Perez," came under fire after old social media posts resurfaced in January, including offensive remarks about Islam, George Floyd, and her co-star Selena Gomez.
Gascón was notably absent from the 2025 awards season following the backlash, which caused a significant dent in her Oscar campaign for Best Actress.
During the Oscars, Gascón, who portrayed a cartel boss transitioning from male to female in "Emilia Perez," was roasted by host Conan O'Brien for her controversial past.
Despite this, she remained composed and posted a message on Instagram thanking Madonna for her support.
According to Mirror, Gascón shared a photo of herself hugging the pop icon at Madonna's exclusive Oscars after-party, captioning the photo: "Madonna, I want to thank you for all the love you have shown me, for your invitation to the party you gave after the Oscars, and for your words of strength and love. I love you."
Karla Sofía Gascón shows love to Madonna in new Instagram story:
— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 6, 2025
“I want to thank you for all the love you have shown me, for your invitation to the party you gave after the Oscars and for your words of love and strength. I love you.” pic.twitter.com/UQkriUdYfR
Madonna Faces Backlash After Supporting Controversial Actress Karla Sofia Gascón
In response, Madonna reposted the message on her Instagram Story, signaling her support to nearly 20 million followers.
However, this move has sparked outrage among Madonna's fans, who criticized her for aligning herself with Gascón.
Many expressed their disappointment that Madonna called Emilia Perez her "favorite film" of the year despite the controversy surrounding its director, Jacques Audiard.
The 72-year-old filmmaker has faced criticism for his portrayal of Mexico in the film and for allegedly throwing Gascón "under the bus" following her tweet scandal, DailyMail said.
Fans flooded the comments section of Madonna's Instagram post, calling the movie problematic and expressing disapproval of her praise for Gascón. One user remarked, "Love u, but the movie is full of problematic stuff... starting with the director," while another pleaded for her to "delete" the post.
Many were concerned about Madonna's support for a film they believed made a "mockery of Mexico."
The controversy surrounding Gascón's past tweets, including derogatory comments about Muslims and George Floyd, has continued to haunt her career.
After Netflix distanced itself from the actress, she struggled to maintain her place as an Oscar frontrunner.
The actress later apologized, stating, "As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well, and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain."
Madonna's support for Gascón comes at a time when the pop star has also voiced her concerns about the treatment of transgender individuals. On Instagram, she shared a post defending the rights of trans people, criticizing society's "Lynch mob mentality" and urging more efforts to "lift people up."
While Gascón's supporters have praised Madonna for standing by her, many fans question whether this alliance will affect the pop star's reputation.