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Actress Who Won a BAFTA for Her Role in a 'Woke' Musical Gets Pulled Off Camera During Acceptance Speech

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  February 18, 2025 9:00 AM

Actress Zoe Saldaña made headlines for multiple reasons following her win at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards for her role in the film “Emilia Pérez.”

To recap, Townhall has reported how the woke film has been shrouded in controversy. “Emilia Pérez” is about a Mexican cartel boss who undergoes “gender-affirming surgery” to live as a woman. The film’s lead, Karla Sofía Gascón, is a man who claims to be a “transgender woman.” 

The film won many awards at the Golden Globes. Shortly after, it was nominated for a slew of Oscars. Then, it came out that Gascón would no longer be welcome as part of the film’s Oscar campaign over statements he made in the past that were racist, etc. Gascón, who is a man, was nominated for “Best Actress.”

Saldaña, actress Selena Gomez, and the film’s director, Jacques Audiard, have all publicly distanced themselves from Gascón. The Hollywood Reporter indicated that this was to keep themselves away from the Gascón “debris field.”

Saldaña won a BAFTA for “Best Supporting Actress” in “Emilia Pérez” on Sunday. After receiving her award, she claimed that her “trans nephew” Eli is the reason why she did the film in the first place. 

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In her remarks, Saldaña appears to correct herself, first referring to her nephew as “he” but then backtracking and using the gender-neutral pronoun “they.”

“I’m dedicating all of these awards and the film ‘Emilia Pérez’ to my nephew, Eli. He is the reason — they are the reason — I signed up to do this film in the first place,” she said. “So as the proud aunt of a trans life, I will always stand with my community of trans people.”

Though he was nominated, Gascón did not attend the BAFTA awards.

That’s not all. Saldaña was pulled off camera abruptly during her official acceptance speech because she started cursing. 

Saldaña shouted “f***, f***, f***!” during her speech when she noticed the countdown.