Selena Gomez responded to the controversy casting a shadow over her film “Emilia Pérez.”
The Spanish-language musical, which leads the 2025 Oscar nominations with 13, has come under fire for multiple issues: its depiction of Mexico and transgender identity, and its star Karla Sofía Gascón’s resurfaced, offensive tweets with anti-Muslim, anti-diversity and racist language.
Speaking at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday night, Gomez addressed moderator Dave Karger’s question about how she was handling the criticism, saying she was “really good.”
“Some of the magic has disappeared, but I choose to continue to be proud of what I’ve done, and I’m just grateful,” Gomez said. “I live with no regrets and I would do this movie over and over again if I could.”
Gomez also has been criticized for her Spanish in the film. Speaking to NPR in November, Gomez said she was fluent in the language as a child but lost her fluency after taking on English-speaking roles and moving from her native Texas to California at age 7. She studied the language for six months to prepare for the role in “Emilia Pérez,” but some critics were left unimpressed.
Despite the backlash surrounding the movie, its stars and Gomez’s Spanish, the actor-singer said she wants to focus on film in the future, noting that she’s unsure when — or if — she’ll return to music.
“I think film and art-making and being around such incredible, talented people that have done nothing but uplift me along the way. … I don’t know, it’s going to be very hard for me to ever go back to music after this.”
When the crowd broke into chatter and shocked reactions, Gomez hung her head. Karger asked if it was a “‘never say never’ situation,” prompting Gomez to pause before simply responding with “Maybe.”
Gomez was among the recipients of the festival’s Virtuosos Award, which she earned for her performance in the film, alongside Gascón, who was not in attendance. The other honorees included Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), Harris Dickinson (“Babygirl”), Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice”), Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”), Ariana Grande (“Wicked”), Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”) and John Magaro (“September 5”).
According to the festival, the Virtuosos Award recognizes “a select group of talent whose noteworthy performances” in films this season have “elevated them in the national cinematic dialogue.”