WATCH: Zoe Saldaña Addresses ‘Emilia Peréz’ Backlash in Spanish at 2025 Oscars
Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Zoe Saldaña addressed the controversy over Emilia Peréz in two separate answers during the press room after her Oscars win for Best Supporting Actress. The actress, who became the first person of Dominican origin to win the Award, apologized to a journalist who asked about the fact that not much had been said about Mexico, which is the heart of the movie.
“I’m very, very sorry that you and so many Mexicans felt offended,” Saldaña said. “That was never our intention. We spoke and we came from a place of love and I will stand by that.”
She also added. “I don’t share your opinion. For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We weren’t making a film about a country. We were making a film about four women, and these women could have been Russian, could have been Dominican, could have been Black from Detroit, could have been from Israel, could have been from Gaza. And these women are still very universal women that are struggling every day at trying to survive systemic oppression and trying to find their most authentic voices.”
The actress, however, expressed a willingness to “sit down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters, and with love and respect, having a great conversation on how “Emilia” could have been done better.”
Earlier, she was asked in Spanish about the song from Emilia Peréz that won the Oscar, and what she would say about the controversy about the movie, and responded also in Spanish that “Art doesn’t follow a manual. Art follows love, heart, and light. And one wanting to explore conversations that one might not understand. And by doing so, more voices are brought to the table and conversation can take place, and I think that is what Jacques Audiard did.”
Finally, Saldaña repeated the same sentiment she went over in her other question. “This movie is not based on real life. And if I had to do it again, I’d do it a thousand times.”
Watch Zoe Saldaña in the Oscars winners room below. And for her Spanish response, look for the timestamp: 2:06.
