Selena Gomez Says ‘Some of the Magic Has Disappeared’ Amid ‘Emilia Pérez’ Controversy, but She Has ‘No Regrets’: ‘I Would Do This Movie Over and Over Again’

Ellise Shafer

10 February 2025 at 5:25 am·2-min read

Selena Gomez got candid about the recent controversy surrounding her Oscar-nominated movie, “Emilia Pérez,” while speaking at the Santa Barbara Film Festival on Sunday.

The film — which has the most nominations going into the Oscars this year — has experienced a fall from grace since tweets resurfaced in late January from its lead, Karla Sofía Gascón, expressing controversial views on Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars. As a result, Netflix has distanced itself from Gascón and is no longer financially supporting her on the awards trail.

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“Some of the magic has disappeared,” Gomez said of the controversy at Santa Barbara Film Festival, where she received the Virtuosos Award. “But I choose to continue to be proud of what I’ve done and I’m just grateful. I live with no regrets, and I would do this movie over and over again if I could.”

Gomez was even the subject of a tweet from Gascón, where the Spanish actress seemingly called her a “rich rat.” However, Gascón told CNN en Español last week that the post was not hers. “Of course that’s not mine,” she said. “I have never said anything about my partner. I would never refer to her that way.”

But Gomez affirmed she still has fond memories of the film’s production. “Just having someone see something in me besides the obvious was such a special experience,” Gomez said. “The director [Jacques Audiard] just really trusted me, and I was so grateful because I’ve gotten to show people that I am capable of doing more. I hope this is just the beginning for me in this field.”

Gomez, who did not receive an Oscar nom for her performance but scored BAFTA and Golden Globe nods, added that she’s “ready to just focus” on acting for a while. “I don’t know, it’s going to be hard for me to ever go back to music after this,” she said to audible shock from fans in the crowd.

Watch the full conversation below.

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