Oscar-nominated actress Zoe Saldana urged individuals to “think abstractly about redemption” as she received the Best Supporting Actress award at the 2025 London Critics’ Circle Awards. Her remarks followed her Emilia Perez co-star Karla Sofia Gascon’s apology for past social media posts that criticized Islam and George Floyd. During the awards ceremony in Mayfair, London, Saldana expressed her surprise at receiving the honor, especially at this time.
“It’s quite difficult to hold a belief with such conviction that you’re willing to go against the norm, especially when that norm can sometimes mislead you into thinking you’re on the right path,” she stated. She emphasized the importance of believing in one’s feelings as an artist, provided that those feelings stem from love, knowledge, education, and hard work. “Emilia was created with so much of all of those elements,” she added.
Saldana expressed gratitude to her castmates for their contribution to creating something “truly beautiful,” and she encouraged the audience to “think abstractly about redemption.” She implored everyone to “keep your minds and hearts open” and to continue creating art and sharing their truths.
Gascon, in a recent CNN interview, defended herself against accusations of racism, asserting that she would not renounce her Oscar nomination as she had not committed any crime or harmed anyone. She claimed that many of her posts on X were misinterpreted and denied making derogatory comments about her partner, Selena Gomez. After deactivating her X account, Gascon, who is the first transgender performer nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, acknowledged her past comments and expressed her understanding of suffering as someone from a marginalized community.
