Oscar Nominees Under Fire Over Racist & Problematic Pasts, Fernanda Torres Apologises for Blackface
Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Fernanda Torres, who earned a Best Actress nomination for her role in I’m Still Here, has issued a public apology after a 17-year-old comedy sketch resurfaced in which she appears in blackface.
The Brazilian actress won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a mother searching for her missing politician husband, addressed the situation in an exclusive statement to Deadline on Tuesday.
“Almost twenty years ago, I appeared in blackface in a comedy sketch from a Brazilian TV show,” Torres said in her statement. “I am very sorry for this. I’m making this statement as it is important for me to address this swiftly to avoid further pain and confusion. At that time, despite the efforts of Black movements and organizations, the awareness of the racist history and symbolism of blackface hadn’t yet entered the mainstream public consciousness in Brazil. Thanks to better cultural understanding and important but incomplete achievements in this century, it’s very clear now in our country and everywhere that blackface is never acceptable.
“This is an important conversation we must continue to have with one another in order to prevent the normalization of racist practices then and now. As an artist and global citizen, and from my open heart, I remain attentive and committed to the pursuit of vital changes needed to live in a world free from inequality and racism,” she said.
The resurfaced footage is from a comedy sketch series on the primetime Brazilian TV programme Fantastico, which has been on air for five decades. The sketch in question, titled The Opposite Sex: The Family (Father Vs. Mother), shows Torres and a male actor playing multiple roles.
In one scene, Torres dons blackface to portray a househelp, a segment that went viral over the weekend and prompted backlash on social media. Some fans expressed shock and disappointment, while others argued that the sketch was produced in a different time and should be viewed within that context.
Torres is one of five nominees for Best Actress at the 2025 Academy Awards. She follows in the footsteps of her mother, who was nominated for the same category in 1999. I’m Still Here, also up for Best Picture, has made Torres a frontrunner, with awards pundits speculating she could take home the Oscar.
Other Nominees’ Past Controversies
Shortly after news of Torres’s blackface surfaced, netizens, espcially Torres' Brazilian fans began revisiting incidents involving other prominent 2025 Oscar nominees.
A tweet with over 600,000 views called out Adrien Brody for a “racist sketch on SNL” and recalled the moment when he kissed Halle Berry at the 2003 Oscars without prior consent, after winning Best Actor for The Pianist.
Watch Adrien Brody's SNL skit below and decide for yourself!
Pictured below is the infamous moment Adrien Brody got on stage and kissed Halle Berry on stage without her consent.
Berry has since then gone on record to clarify that it was 'not planned' and she 'had no idea' Brody was going to do that.
Zoe Saldana, who is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Emilia Pérez, faced criticism in 2016 for darkening her skin and wearing a prosthetic nose to portray singer Nina Simone in the film Nina. It is important to remember that Saldana is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent thus the public was confused as to why she was picked for the role.
At the time of the casting announcement, Lisa Simone Kelly (Nina Simone’s daughter) commented that while Saldana was a talented actress, she did not physically resemble the iconic musician. The Simone estate’s official Twitter account later posted: “Please take Nina’s name out your mouth. For the rest of your life.”
Saldana apologised in an interview with Pose creator Steven Canals, stating, “I should have never played Nina. I’m so sorry. I know better today and I’m never going to do that again.”
However, it seems her apology is not enough since users on X are reigniting this issue again!
First Torres, then Saldana, X users were shocked. Some tried to make light of the situation. A user tweeted, "If I had a nickel for every 2025 academy award nominee actress that has done blackface, I would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice."
Perhaps the most distubing is Demi Moore, nominated for her role in The Substance, has also come under fire online, with some labelling her a “pedophile” for kissing a minor in an old video clip.
Now that most of the nominess are facing backlash, the public is turning to Anora's Mikey Madison who has managed to keep a clean slate (so far).
Users on various social media platforms have reignited debates around that footage, adding Moore’s name to the growing list of nominees whose past actions are under fresh scrutiny.
While the Academy has not commented on these controversies, the incidents have cast a shadow over this year’s ceremony, raising questions about accountability in Hollywood and beyond.
Whether or not these revelations will affect the outcome of the 2025 Oscars remains to be seen, but it is evident that the spotlight is on the nominees’ off-screen histories as much as their performances.