Hosting the 97th Academy Awards, Conan O’Brien didn’t hold back in his opening monologue, roasting Karla Sofía Gascón to her face over her past racist, homophobic, and Islamophobic tweets that resurfaced during awards season.
The Emilia Pérez star, the first openly transgender woman nominated for Best Actress, has been at the centre of controversy, leading to her absence from most awards season events. However, she attended the Oscars, where O’Brien made her the target of a scathing joke.
Photo: Reuters
“Anora uses the F-word 479 times,” O’Brien quipped. “That’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist.”
The audience laughed nervously, but cameras captured Gascón looking visibly uncomfortable as she raised her hands in a prayer-like gesture toward O’Brien. The host then added:
“And Karla, if you’re going to tweet about the Oscars, remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”
@deadline Conan O’Brien: “Karla Sofía Gascón is here tonight. And Karla, if you are going to tweet about the Oscars, my name is Jimmy Kimmel” #Oscars
♬ original sound - Deadline
As the joke landed, Gascón appeared confused, turning to her seatmate for clarification. Social media immediately exploded, with reactions ranging from laughter to jokes about Gascón's next tweets targeting O'Brien.
She’s about to call Conan a Molly Weasley abortion
— Zoey 🖤 (@LilKittyZoey) March 3, 2025
karla in the audience cooking up a slur for redheads
— َ (@ungodlywests) March 3, 2025
“The bomb will set off in 45 minutes. Leave the venue in a few”. #Oscars2025 pic.twitter.com/LKXKoW0LeA
— ً (@pradararez) March 3, 2025
Conan O’Brien is not ready
— puente (@puentevillarre1) March 3, 2025
Once a Best Picture frontrunner, Emilia Pérez's momentum stalled after Gascón’s past remarks resurfaced. Industry insiders believe this hindered her Best Actress campaign.
Despite the controversy, the film won the Oscar for Best Original Song with "El Mal", and Zoe Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress.
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