The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2025
Netflix removed Karla Sofía Gascón from its Emilia Pérez Oscar campaign after old tweets
Old tweets removed the Emilia Pérez star from Netflix's Oscar campaign: no travel, no events, no billboards.
Netflix · 2025-02-04
What happened
On 30 January 2025, years-old posts from Karla Sofía Gascón's X account resurfaced and drew widespread condemnation. Gascón was the lead of Emilia Pérez, Netflix's awards frontrunner with 13 Oscar nominations, the most ever for a non-English-language film.
Within days Netflix removed her from the campaign. The Hollywood Reporter reported she would not come to the U.S. for the week's awards events, had been cut from email blasts and ad-reads promoting the film, was being replaced on billboards, and would no longer receive the usual transport and accommodation courtesies.
Rolling Stone confirmed the distance: she was removed from Critics Choice, DGA and PGA appearances, cut from marketing materials, and a For Your Consideration image highlighting the film's 13 nominations omitted her Best Actress nod. Netflix worked to keep co-star Zoe Saldaña clear of the controversy.
Why it happened
- Netflix spent its awards season on one person's story, and the lead's old posts became the campaign's headline: every event she attended re-ran the controversy.
- The streamer cut its losses mid-season rather than defend a nominee it could not control.
- The campaign was already paid for — 13 nominations, billboards, events — so removing her was the cheapest way to protect the film's other awards chances.
The lesson
A campaign built around one star dies fastest when the star is the story: Netflix cut its own nominee from events and billboards already paid for. The person is the message, so the person must go.
Aftermath
Emilia Pérez closed the awards season with two wins from its 13 nominations — Zoe Saldaña for best supporting actress and 'El Mal' for best original song. Gascón was not among the best-actress nominees, and Netflix's campaign finished without its lead.
Sources
- How Karla Sofía Gascón Is Being Removed From the 'Emilia Pérez' Oscar Campaign — The Hollywood Reporter, 3 February 2025
- Netflix Distances From Karla Sofía Gascón in 'Emilia Pérez' Campaign — Rolling Stone, 4 February 2025
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