‘This is good for Demi Moore’: The Best Actress Oscar race heats up as Karla Sofia Gascón accuses Fernanda Torres’s camp of sabotage

Emilia Pérez’s awards journey is riddled with controversy. Now, Karla Sofia Gascón, the Best Actress nominee for the musical, is adding more fuel to the fire — this time for possibly breaking a sacred Oscar rule.

In an interview with the Brazilian magazine Folha de São Paulo, Gascón accused Fernanda Torres’s team of attempting to sabotage Emilia Perez’s already tainted reputation by speaking negatively about the film. “I have never, at any point, said anything bad about Fernanda Torres or her movie. However, there are people working with her who are tearing me and Emilia Pérez down. That says more about their movie than mine.”

Karla Sofia Gascon could have potentially broken an #Oscars rule by trying to harm the image of her competitor, Fernanda Torres, in an interview:

“There are people who work with Fernanda Torres who speak badly about me and Emilia Perez."

Gascon’s comments are still unfounded.… pic.twitter.com/yQqUB2Pd56

— Pop Tingz (@ThePopTingz) January 29, 2025

This kind of statement during Emilia Perez’s promotional period and Oscar campaign couldn’t have come at a worse time. According to the Academy Awards’ Campaign Promotional Regulations, individuals directly associated with the Academy are not allowed to “share misleading or false information about a motion picture, performance, or achievement.”

However, Variety has reported that 52-year-old Gascón did not violate any Oscar rules following her clarification of the remarks. “I was referencing the toxicity and violent hate speech on social media that I sadly continue to experience,” the Spanish actress stated. “Fernanda has been a wonderful ally, and no one directly associated with her has been anything but supportive and hugely generous.”

This, however, hasn’t stopped fans from rallying behind Torres, for one simple reason: The 59-year-old Brazilian actress herself has publicly showered Gascón with compliments. In a video posted to her Instagram Stories, Torres urged kindness toward the Emilia Pérez star, after she recalled feeling overwhelmed at a party at the Château Marmont, surrounded by Hollywood stars — until Gascón stepped in to support her.

“I was feeling a bit out of place at the party, like a fish out of water,” Torres began. “Then suddenly, Karla Sofía Gascón — the actress from Emilia Pérez, the first trans woman nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars — grabbed me by the arm. She took me by the hand and introduced me to everyone.” Torres followed her story with a series of heartfelt compliments.

At the end of the video, Torres once again advocated for kindness toward Gascón and all the female nominees. “Let’s not mistreat anyone or create conflicts, pitting us against one another, for God’s sake. I am forever grateful for Sofía Gascón. She’s wonderful in Emilia Pérez,” she said, before concluding with, “Let’s not feed hate. And I want to say, Karla Sofía Gascón, I love you forever — a most generous, talented woman who deserves all of our love.”

Karla Sofia Gascón's memory is short but mine is not: This is Fernanda Torres defending and supporting KSG from the hate she has been suffering. pic.twitter.com/XYKSyX9YK1 https://t.co/AZFWgi4S0e

— vitoria (@aronofskyfilms) January 29, 2025

At the same time, an eagle-eyed fan pointed out that while Torres’ camp may not have directly campaigned against Emilia Pérez — not that it needed any more bad press — Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the author of the book that inspired I’m Still Here, has accused the Emilia Pérez‘s team of actively campaigning for the award.

In a tweet, Paiva claimed, “Netflix, the producer of the film Emilia Perez, has been organizing trips and hosting periodic parties for Oscar voters.”

Marcelo Rubens Paiva, filho de Rubens Paiva e autor do livro "Ainda Estou Aqui", fala sobre a disputa nas premiações de Hollywood:

"Nicole Kidman deu um jantar para votantes do Globo de Ouro. Netflix, produtora do filme Emilia Pérez, tem feito viagens e festas periódicas para… pic.twitter.com/jvVgdMJ8U5

— PAN (@forumpandlr) December 22, 2024

While this is undeniably not the greatest press for either Torres’ I’m Still Here, or Gascóns’ Emilia Pérez, some fans managed to find a silver lining in the middle of this debacle: Demi Moore’s future at the Oscars. “This is good for Demi! Not that she needed the help, but her best actress win is still secure,” said a fan on X. Leave it to Moore’s friends to find some positive energy amidst all of this.