Selena Gomez has broken her silence on the Emilia Pérez controversy

Selena Gomez breaks her silence on the Emilia Perez controversies
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Selena Gomez has finally responded to the controversies surrounding the Oscar-nominated Netflix film, Emilia Pérez. Though the movie was initially lauded by industry critics, it has also received a fair amount of backlash in the months since its release, but Selena has shared that she's still happy to have been a part of it.

Speaking at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this weekend, she said (via The Independent): "I'm good. I'm really good. Some of the magic has disappeared, but I choose to continue to be proud of what I've done. And I'm just grateful."

She added for good measure: "I live with no regrets and I would do this movie over and over again if I could."

In the weeks after the film's release, Selena was criticised by some viewers for her Spanish accent. Selena has previously stated that she lost fluency over the years, and responding to the criticism in December she said: "I understand where you are coming from. I’m sorry I did the best I could with the time I was given. Doesn’t take away from how much work and heart I put into this movie."

Though Emilia Pérez was released in November, it has faced increasing scrutiny since being nominated for a number of awards. Notably, it has a whopping 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón, Best Supporting Actress for Zoë Saldaña, and Best Director for Jacques Audiard. Among other things, it has been criticised for the musical numbers and its portrayal of Mexican culture.

Meanwhile, Gascón has been at the heart of the controversy after some of her old tweets resurfaced, in which she had made disparaging comments about various ethnic groups. The actress has since apologised for her comments, saying in a statement: "As someone in a marginalised community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness."

Gascón has also vowed to remain silent in the run-up to the Oscars, but has not withdrawn from consideration.

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Iris Goldsztajn
Iris Goldsztajn is a celebrity and royal news writer for Marie Claire. As a London-based freelance journalist, she writes about wellness, relationships, pop culture, beauty and more for the likes of InStyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red. Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, Iris is especially interested in debunking diet culture and destigmatising mental health struggles. Previously, she was the associate editor for Her Campus, where she oversaw the style and beauty news sections, as well as producing gift guides, personal essays and celebrity interviews. There, she worked remotely from Los Angeles, after returning from a three-month stint as an editorial intern for Cosmopolitan.com in New York. As an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, she interned at goop and C California Style and served as Her Campus' national style and LGBTQ+ editor. Iris was born and raised in France by a French father and an English mother. Her Spotify Wrapped is riddled with country music and One Direction, and she can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.