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Karla Sofia Gascon, the first transgender woman nominated for best actress, plays a Mexican cartel boss in 'Emilia Perez.'
Karla Sofia Gascon via Instagram
LOS ANGELES, United States — Actor Karla Sofia Gascon will be at this weekend's Oscars ceremony in Hollywood, despite weeks of controversy over offensive past comments and being frozen out of Netflix's awards campaign, media reports said.
Gascon, the first transgender woman nominated for best actress for her role in narco musical "Emilia Perez," has been absent from the film world's glitzy awards season after old Islamophobic and racist social media posts were unearthed.
The 52-year-old, who plays a Mexican cartel boss in Jacques Audiard's genre-defying movie, compounded the issue with tone-deaf media interviews that left Netflix scrabbling to contain the damage to a film that had previously looked to be a frontrunner for Oscars glory, with 13 nods.
Hollywood trade titles Variety and Deadline both reported the Spaniard would be attending the Oscars ceremony on Sunday (Monday morning in the Manila), and said Netflix would be picking up the tab for her travel — something studios customarily do for their nominees.
"I'm not sure how I feel, but I'm grateful to be back," Gascon told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.
"I'm grateful to all those who've believed in me — to Netflix, the production company and my colleagues. We can close this beautiful and difficult path that began three years ago."
It was not immediately clear if Gascon would walk the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, or whether she would give interviews.
Nor was it known if she would be sitting near co-stars Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana — who is nominated for best supporting actress — or Audiard.
Variety reported Gascon was also set to attend the Cesar Awards — France's equivalent of the Oscars — in Paris on Friday.
"Emilia Perez" has divided audiences, with some marveling at its innovative approach to an unorthodox subject and others criticizing what they say are its cliches about Mexico and its twee treatment of brutal gangs.
Gascon stars as a drug cartel boss who transitions to life as a woman and turns her back on crime, dedicating her life to finding the bodies of those who vanished at the hands of crime bosses.
The mostly Spanish-language movie filmed in France and set in Mexico has been nominated for 13 Oscars, including best picture and best director.
Saldana has swept the board in her category throughout the season, but the film has otherwise largely failed to impress awards voters.
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