Selena Gomez has received an official apology from Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez after he attacked her acting in Jacques Audiard’s film Emilia Perez.
The movie follows Karla Sofía Gascón as the titular character, a Mexican drug cartel leader who undergoes gender affirmation surgery to medically transition. Gomez plays her partner Jessi Del Monte in the film, which was released on Netflix to a divisive reception.
Mexican actor Derbez, 63, said on the Hablando de Cine podcast that he had watched the film with frustration. “Selena is indefensible,” he said. “I [watched the movie] with people, and every time she had a scene, we looked at each other to say to each other, ‘Wow, what is this?’”
After a clip of the interview went viral on social media, Only Murders in the Building star Gomez commented on the post to explain why she felt her performance wasn’t up to scratch.
“I understand where you are coming from,” she said. “I’m sorry I did the best I could with the time I was given. Doesn’t take away from how much work and heart I put into this movie.”
She later defended fans who came to her defence as she wrote, “Also do not ever say my fans are the problem standing up, as you say, for me.”
Derbez issued a formal apology on his Instagram page as he wrote, “Dear Selena, I truly apologize for my careless comments.”
He continued, “They are indefensible and go against everything I stand for. As Latinos, we should always support one another. There’s not excuse. I was wrong, and I deeply admire your career and your kind heart.”
He added,“Emilia Pérez deserves to be celebrated, not diminished by my thoughtless remarks. I’m walking away from this with an important lesson learned. While I understand if you cannot accept my apology, please know it comes from the heart.”
Spanish-Mexican singer Belinda Peregrín Schüll came to Gomez’s defence as she wrote a lengthy statement saying, “It’s unfortunate that such coldness is expressed about the work and effort of a woman so talented and admirable like Selena, I loved the movie and her acting”.
