Zoe Saldaña responds to criticism that 'Emilia Pérez' is 'hurtful' to Mexicans after Oscar win

By Carson Blackwelder

Zoe Saldaña responded to a reporter who had critiques of "Emilia Pérez" in the press room following her best supporting actress win at the 2025 Oscars.

The Mexican reporter set up their question by saying a lot has been said about trans people and empowering women, "but less has been said about Mexico, which is the heart of it." The reporter asked Saldaña her thoughts on that, a topic they said was "really hurtful for us Mexicans."

Saldaña began by saying, "First of all, I'm very, very sorry that you and so many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We spoke and came from a place of love, and I will stand by that."

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Zoe Saldana accepts the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for "Emilia Perez" onstage during the 97th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on March 2, 2025.

"I don't share your opinion," Saldaña continued. "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. They could have been Dominican. They 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."

Saldaña ended her response by saying, "So I will stand by that, but I'm also always open 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. I have no problem. I welcome it."

Saldaña's response has received mixed reaction on social media, with some calling her response dismissive and disrespectful.

Heading into awards season, "Emilia Pérez" was a juggernaut film.

It was nominated for 13 Academy Awards at the 2025 Oscars, ultimately winning just two: best supporting actress for Saldaña and best original song for "El Mal," which Saldaña actually sang in the film.

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Zoe Saldana accpets the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for 'Emilia Perez' during the 97th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Mar. 2, 2025.

The film has faced criticism for how it tackled its central themes -- including from LGBTQ critics over its trans representation, those who took offense to previous comments by the film's director Jacques Audiard about the Spanish language and how the film depicted Mexican cartels and their victims.

In recent weeks, star Karla Sofía Gascón also came under fire for past offensive social media posts.

Read up about all the controversy surrounding "Emilia Pérez" here and check out a recap of the 2025 Oscars here.