"Like Watching Afro-Korean Festival"... US Transgender Actor Exposed Mocking Youn Yuh-jung

First Transgender Best Actress Oscar Nominee
Spanish Actress Carla Sofia Gascon
Award Chances Fade After Hate Speech Controversy

Transgender actress Carla Sofia Gascon from Spain has sparked controversy after it was revealed that she made hateful remarks targeting certain religious and racial groups. Among those targeted was South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung.

Transgender actress Carla Sofia Gascon from Spain. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

On the 1st (local time), local media including the New York Post reported that several of Gascon's past posts on X (formerly Twitter) resurfaced online, leading to public criticism. She was accused of repeatedly expressing hatred toward specific religions, sexual orientations, and races.

In particular, regarding South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung winning the Best Supporting Actress award for the film Minari in 2021, and Black actor Daniel Kaluuya winning Best Supporting Actor, Gascon commented, "I can't tell if I'm watching an Afro-Korean (people with Asian and African ancestry) festival or a Black Lives Matter protest. It's an ugly gala show."

She also criticized George Floyd, whose death during police excessive force sparked the BLM protests, calling him a "drug-addicted con artist." During the spread of the COVID-19 virus, she made discriminatory remarks toward China. She also mocked Muslim and bisexual actors. These hateful remarks are currently unverifiable as Gascon deleted her X account.

However, her past words continue to haunt her. The New York Post predicted that this controversy would reduce the chances of the Academy Award hopeful film Emilia Perez winning. "Gascon's chances of winning were already slim, but now there is really no hope. A transgender actress in an indie foreign-language musical sharing such controversial opinions is an unpredictable matter for Hollywood," it said. "And this is a major blow to Emilia Perez, which had the most nominations. The film was a Best Picture nominee, but now it seems unlikely."

Especially this year, the Academy stated that it would "celebrate works that unite the global film community," making Gascon's chances of winning the Best Actress Oscar?the first transgender nominee in that category?appear distant. Film critic Wendy Ide told the BBC in an interview, "At one point, Gascon was seen as a potential historic first transgender female winner, but now I can say she will likely win nothing."

Gascon has recently attempted to make amends. On Instagram, she claimed, "I have changed after finding a new religion. I am not the same person I was 10 years ago," adding, "I am still not perfect, but I am learning every day and trying to become a better person."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.