Karla Sofía Gascón Laughs Off Conan O'Brien's Oscar Jab Amid Scandal

Karla Sofía Gascón is still taking in her moment.

Weeks after actress Emilia Pérez found herself embroiled in controversy due to resurfaced controversial posts from her past, she made a public appearance at the 2025 Oscars on March 2. This event was held at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre and hosted by Conan O’Brien. You can see all the stars who graced the red carpet here.

Instead of walking the red carpet, the troubled actress found herself seated within the event, just in time to catch O’Brien poking fun at her during his amusing opening speech.

The comedian shared that they truly enjoyed “Anora,” sharing an interesting tidbit: “Anora” employs the word ‘f-word’ a staggering 479 times, surpassing the record previously held by Karla Sofia Gascón’s publicist by three instances. ‘Did you really just tweet that?’

Following some hearty chuckles and warm applause, I carried on with a touch of gravity. “I’m truly enjoying myself tonight, and Karla Sofia Gascón, if you’re tweeting about the Oscars, just remember to include my name: Jimmy Kimmel,” I said, gently nudging her to get it right.

The well-known Spanish celebrity, wearing a casual black dress with an off-the-shoulder style, playfully responded to a joke and was seen giggling as the camera focused on her in the audience. Additionally, it seemed she didn’t quite catch Kimmel’s quip and appeared to be seeking clarification from a friend about O’Brien’s humor.

While Gascón has been otherwise keeping a low profile as of late—skipping the 2025 SAG Awards on Feb. 23—she is nominated at the Oscars tonight in the Actress in a Leading Role category for her work in Emilia Pérez. Also nominated in the category? Demi Moore (The Substance), Mikey Madison (Anora), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here).

Apart from being nominated for Best Actress, Emilia Pérez was also recognized in the Best Film category, competing against The Brutalist, Anora, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two (sequel), I’m Still Here, The Substance, The Nickel Boys, and Wicked, for the award.

In a turn of events, Gascón found himself in a heated situation after old comments he made on platform X about the death of George Floyd, the Muslim community, and diversity at the Oscars reemerged, having been made alongside Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez in the Netflix musical film.

In a statement released on January 30th via Netflix, Gascón expressed his desire to address the discussions about his previous social media posts that inflicted harm. Recognizing the distress he has caused as a member of a marginalized group, he sincerely apologizes to those affected. His entire life has been dedicated to striving for a more enlightened world, and he firmly believes that light will ultimately prevail over darkness.

Despite growing scrutiny, Gascón resisted being silenced by what she perceived as a cultural trend of “cancellation,” which threatened to deny her the chance to become the first openly transgender woman ever nominated for an Academy Award.

In simpler terms, Gascón expressed on Instagram on February 4th (translated from Spanish), “I’m seeking the liberty to live without fear, to produce art unhindered, and to progress in my new life.” He also stated that they are trying to impose ‘cancel culture’ upon him.

Emilia Pérez’s director Jacques Audiard subsequently spoke out against his film’s star.

According to Audiard, Karla Sofía’s words are indefensible. He finds them confusing, and he’s also puzzled as to why she would hurt those who were dear to her.

Following the publication of Audiard’s interview, Gascón announced her intention to temporarily withdraw from public discourse after giving a detailed defense in a long CNN interview.

In a February 6 Instagram post, Gascón expressed, “I chose to let the movie speak for itself, in honor of Jacques, the talented cast, the remarkable crew who truly deserve it, and for the extraordinary journey we all shared. I hope my silence will allow the film to be recognized as a heartfelt tribute to love and diversity. I deeply regret any pain caused during this process.

Keep reading to see everyone who stepped out at the 2025 Oscars…