Exclusive | How Oscars 2025 might handle the 'Emilia Perez' Karla Sofia Gascon controversy - according to a writer

Karla Sofia Gascón, the first transgender woman nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars, faces backlash due to controversial social media posts. This incident has led to Netflix distancing itself from her awards campaign. Carol Leifer, an accomplished writer and comedian, discusses how hosts typically navigate such scandals during the ceremony. She emphasizes that the handling of controversies often depends on the hosting style, highlighting past instances such as Billy Crystal's improvisation during a previous Oscars event. Despite the backlash, reports suggest Gascón will still attend the ceremony.

After Gascón came under fire for her old social media posts, Netflix reportedly ditched the actress from the campaign. 'First out trans actress to receive an Oscar nomination is a massive bigot' feels like a Ryan Murphy subplot, one person joked on Twitter amid the controversy.

Leifer, who has also been a writer on 'Hacks' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' explained, 'I think each host has kind of a sixth sense with their hosting style, whether they want to address [a controversy] or not. It's usually something more lighthearted.'

Leifer noted, 'it really comes down to whoever's hosting, whether they want to shine a light on that, or they want to sidestep it.'

For instance, Leifer recalled when former host Billy Crystal leaned into a last-minute gag during the 2000 show.

Read at New York Post