Sharing his thoughts on the winners of the Academy Awards 2025, Bill Maher dismisses Karla Sofia Gascon's racist tweets as 'childlike' but 'very, very honest.'
- March 9, 2025
AceShowbiz - Bill Maher weighed in on the controversy involving "Emilia Perez" and its star, Karla Sofia Gascon. In the latest episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher," the host argued that cancel culture played a significant role in determining the outcomes of this year's Academy Awards.
"There are people who say cancel culture isn't a real thing, and I would say to them, 'It just happened at the Oscars,' " Maher stated. "Hollywood loved the idea of making history and finally having a person, who was a trans person, win the Best Actress Oscar," he explained.
However, Gascon's Oscars campaign derailed due to resurfaced social media posts from 2020 and 2021, which contained controversial opinions on George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, Muslims, Asian people, and diversity at the Oscars.
Maher played down Gascon's tweets, comparing them to those of Kanye West and describing them as "a little childlike" and "Kanye-esque, just whatever's on the brain comes out."
Maher believed the widespread criticism was a key factor in the film's diminished success at the Oscars. "And then some things she said, which are just, 'Oh yeah. You know what? I've said things like that.' It's just very, very honest. But of course, the woke community - it was way too far," he commented on the ensuing controversy.
In the wake of the scandal, "Emilia Perez" still managed to win two Oscars: Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldana and Best Original Song for "El Mal." The big winner of the night was Sean Baker's "Anora," which took home five awards, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Actress for star Mikey Madison.
Gascon, for her part, issued a public apology, stating, "I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt. As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain."
The debate continues about the role of cancel culture in contemporary society, especially in high-stakes environments like the Academy Awards. The case of "Emilia Perez" serves as a poignant example of how a single controversy can shift public and institutional support in today's interconnected world.
