Selena Gomez says 'some of the magic has disappeared' amid 'Emilia Pérez' controversy

Selena Gomez responded to the contention casting a shadiness implicit her movie “Emilia Pérez.”

The Spanish-language musical, which leads the 2025 Oscar nominations with 13, has travel nether occurrence for aggregate issues: its depiction of Mexico and transgender identity, and its prima Karla Sofía Gascón’s resurfaced, violative tweets with anti-Muslim, anti-diversity and racist language.

Speaking astatine the Santa Barbara International Film Festival connected Sunday night, Gomez addressed moderator Dave Karger’s question astir however she was handling the criticism, saying she was “really good.”

“Some of the magic has disappeared, but I take to proceed to beryllium arrogant of what I’ve done, and I’m conscionable grateful,” Gomez said. “I unrecorded with nary regrets and I would bash this movie implicit and implicit again if I could.”

Gomez besides has been criticized for her Spanish successful the film. Speaking to NPR successful November, Gomez said she was fluent successful the connection arsenic a kid but mislaid her fluency aft taking connected English-speaking roles and moving from her autochthonal Texas to California astatine property 7. She studied the connection for six months to hole for the relation successful “Emilia Pérez,” but immoderate critics were near unimpressed.

Despite the backlash surrounding the movie, its stars and Gomez’s Spanish, the actor-singer said she wants to absorption connected movie successful the future, noting that she’s unsure erstwhile — oregon if — she’ll instrumentality to music.

“I deliberation movie and art-making and being astir specified incredible, talented radical that person done thing but uplift maine on the way. ... I don’t know, it’s going to beryllium precise hard for maine to ever spell backmost to euphony aft this.”

When the assemblage broke into chatter and shocked reactions, Gomez hung her head. Karger asked if it was a “‘never accidental never’ situation,” prompting Gomez to intermission earlier simply responding with “Maybe.”

Gomez was among the recipients of the festival’s Virtuosos Award, which she earned for her show successful the film, alongside Gascón, who was not successful attendance. The different honorees included Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), Harris Dickinson (“Babygirl”), Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice”), Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”), Ariana Grande (“Wicked”), Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”) and John Magaro (“September 5”).

According to the festival, the Virtuosos Award recognizes “a prime radical of endowment whose noteworthy performances” successful films this play person “elevated them successful the nationalist cinematic dialogue.”