Zoe Saldaña, who stars in “Emilia Pérez,” shared her disappointment regarding the controversial tweets from her co-star, Karla Sofía Gascón, which have stirred the current Oscar race.

During a question and answer session in London on Friday, Saldaña expressed her feelings, stating she is “still processing everything that has happened in recent days and I’m sad,” as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Edith Bowman, the event moderator, prompted Saldaña with a question about whether she wanted to share anything concerning Gascón’s statements on Oscar diversity, George Floyd’s murder in 2020, and the Muslim community.

“It truly saddens me because I do not support (it), and I have no tolerance for negative rhetoric against any group,” Saldaña remarked.

She went on to emphasize that her experiences with everyone involved in the film were rooted in inclusivity and collaboration, asserting “it just saddens me.”

Saldaña also noted that “it’s disheartening that we’re facing this setback right now. But I’m grateful you’re here and still supporting ‘Emilia (Pérez)’ because the message of this film is incredibly powerful, and it can bring much-needed change to marginalized communities.”

“And from what I can say, all of us who collaborated on this story did so out of love, respect, and curiosity. We will continue to promote that message. That’s all we can say for now,” concluded the “Avatar” star.

Karla Sofía Gascón made inappropriate past remarks about Oscars diversity, George Floyd, and Muslims

Prior to becoming an Oscars contender, Gascón made controversial statements regarding the Oscars, George Floyd, and Muslims.

In a post from November 23, 2020, which was translated by YSL News, Gascón expressed her thoughts in Spanish: “Is it just me or are there more Muslims in Spain? Every time I pick my daughter up from school, I see more women in head coverings and long dresses. Next year, we will need to teach Arabic instead of English.”

In a different message, she shared her views on George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the nationwide protests that followed his death at the hands of police.

“Honestly, very few people cared about George Floyd, a drug addict swindler, but his death has shown that many still view Black individuals as having no rights and portray police as killers,” wrote the Golden Globe nominee. “They are all mistaken.”

Gascón added, “There’s so much to reflect on concerning human behavior whenever such events occur. Maybe it’s more about social classes that feel threatened by one another rather than racism. Perhaps that’s the real difference.”

In another tweet, Gascón also criticized The Academy for its 2021 awards ceremony, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The #Oscars increasingly resemble an event for independent and protest films; I wasn’t sure if I was watching an Afro-Korean festival, a Black Lives Matter rally, or the 8M,” Gascón remarked. “Moreover, it was just an unpleasant gala.”

Gascón issues another apology following the backlash

On Saturday, Gascón issued an apology on Instagram, stating, “Just as it happened with ‘Emilia Pérez’: Everyone has the potential to improve, including myself.”

“I want to sincerely apologize to anyone who felt hurt by my expression at any point in my life. There’s much I need to learn. Life has taught me something I didn’t want to learn; no matter how clear your message is, using the wrong words can change its meaning entirely.”

Gascón also reflected on her rapid rise to fame in Hollywood over the past six months and the accompanying responsibility. “My voice now holds greater weight because it represents many who feel inspired and seen by me,” she noted.

“I can’t undo my past actions. I am not the same person I was ten or twenty years ago. While I haven’t committed any crimes, I’m not perfect either,” she admitted. “I can only strive to learn and improve every day.”

Some of Gascón’s resurfaced tweets date back to 2020.

Continuing her statement, the Spanish actress expressed, “With tears, I acknowledge that they have achieved their goal of tarnishing my existence with lies or out-of-context statements.”

“Anyone who truly knows me recognizes I am not racist (they would be surprised to learn that one of the most important people in my life is Muslim), nor am I any of the things I’ve been wrongly judged for without a fair chance to clarify my true intentions,” she stated. “I have always fought for justice and a world of freedom, peace, and love. I will never endorse wars, religious extremism, or oppression against races and peoples.”

Gascón previously apologized after becoming the first openly transgender actress nominated for an Oscar

Gascón made history in January as the first openly transgender actress nominated for an Oscar for her role in the Netflix film.

Following the viral spread of her social media posts on Thursday, she expressed her remorse “to those I have caused pain.”

“I want to recognize the conversations surrounding my past tweets that have caused hurt,” she communicated in a statement obtained by YSL News. “As someone from a marginalized community, I understand this suffering well, and I’m sincerely sorry to those I have affected.”

Earlier that day, journalist Sarah Hagi shared screenshots of Gascón’s older posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, which quickly garnered significant attention and backlash. Variety was the first to report the news.

“It’s unbelievable that Karla Sofía Gascón still has these tweets up. I’ve never seen such blatantly racist comments from someone pursuing an ACADEMY AWARD,” Hagi tweeted about Gascón’s controversial posts.

As of Friday, Gascón’s account on X was deactivated.

Gascón reports receiving death threats due to her social media posts

In a detailed statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, she expressed, “I’m sorry, but I can no longer let this campaign of hate and misinformation affect me and my family, so at their request, I am deactivating my X account.”

“I have faced death threats, insults, abuse, and harassment to the point of exhaustion. I have a beautiful daughter that I cherish deeply, who supports me unconditionally,” she shared. “I have advocated for every minority in this world and supported freedom of religion and actions against racism and homophobia, while also criticizing the hypocrisy surrounding these issues, starting with myself.”

She concluded, “My words may have been incorrect at times due to ignorance or pure mistakes. I apologize again to anyone who may have ever felt offended or may feel so in the future.”

(This story has been updated with new information.)

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Pamela Avila