Oscar Nominee Fernanda Torres Apologizes for Appearing in Blackface on Brazilian Comedy Show in 2008: ‘Never Acceptable'

Fernanda Torres has apologized after a 2008 clip of her in blackface resurfaced ahead of the 97th Academy Awards.

The I’m Still Here star, 59, who received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Actress category earlier in January, spoke out about her resurfaced appearance on the Brazilian television show Fantastico in a statement to Deadline.

"Almost twenty years ago, I appeared in blackface in a comedy sketch from a Brazilian TV show. I am very sorry for this," the statement read.

Torres said she was speaking out because it was "important for me to address this swiftly to avoid further pain and confusion."

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Deadline reports that the clip in question was a sketch titled "The Opposite Sex: The Family (Father Vs. Mother)." It was meant to be a humorous examination of gender roles, and Torres played a mother named Solange and appeared in blackface as a maid named Dalva.

Torres said that at the time, the "awareness of the racist history and symbolism of blackface hadn’t yet entered the mainstream public consciousness in Brazil."

"Thanks to better cultural understanding and important but incomplete achievements in this century, it’s very clear now in our country and everywhere that blackface is never acceptable," she added.

Related: 2025 Oscar Nominations List: Emilia Pérez Leads with 13, Plus Wicked, Demi Moore's The Substance and More

Torres ended her statement by stating that she was continuing the "important conversation" to prevent "the normalization of racist practices then and now."

"As an artist and global citizen, and from my open heart, I remain attentive and committed to the pursuit of vital changes needed to live in a world free from inequality and racism," her statement said.

PEOPLE has reached out to Torres' representative for comment.

I'm Still Here finds Torres playing a mother and activist coping with the forced disappearance of her husband. It is based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva's biographical book of the same name and received nominations for Best Picture and Best International Feature at the 2025 Oscars.

Related: Fernanda Torres Follows in Her Mother's Footsteps in Emotional Surprise 2025 Golden Globes Win: 'Art Can Endure'

Also nominated in the Best Actress category alongside Torres is: Demi Moore (The Substance), Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Mikey Madison (Anora) and Cynthia Erivo (Wicked).

Earlier in January, Torres won the Golden Globe Award for best performance by a leading actress in a drama. She is only the second Brazilian actress ever nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. The first was her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who earned hers for 1998's Central Station.

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The 97th annual Oscars will air live Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

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