Fears over this year’s Oscars turning ugly as tensions rise ahead of ceremony

The 2025 Oscars are facing a few tense situations (Picture: Getty/Reuters)

We’re just days away from the 2025 Oscars and there are signs it could be one of the tensest events in recent memory for the Academy.

Having already pivoted to adjust announcement timelines and ceremony content in light of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, at a time where the showbiz community has been keen to highlight the work of its firefighters and first responders and not appear tone-deaf, organisers have also had to face backlash against one of their problematic nominees as well as bubbling tension regarding the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

Karla Sofía Gascón become persona non grata after a raft of historic tweets were unearthed that saw her accused of racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia as she shared controversial and offensive opinions on George Floyd, Hitler and Muslims.

After a triumphant moment for representation when she became the first out trans performer to be nominated for a best actress Oscar for her turn in Netflix’s Emilia Pérez, many were then calling for the Academy to rescind her historic nomination in the wake of the controversy.

And this was just the latest controversy for musical crime drama Emilia Pérez, which has frustrated many in Mexico with its French writer-director’s depiction of the country and also the Cartel, as well as provoking the ire of LGBTQ+ organisation GLAAD, who called it ‘a profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman’.

But Emilia Pérez also happens to be the most nominated film at the Oscars this year with a record-breaking 13, the most ever for a film not in the English language.

Problematic nominee Karla Sofía Gascón is confirmed to be attending, despite skipping previous ceremonies after backlash to her past offensive tweets (Picture: Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage)

While Gascón eventually stepped back from promotional activities after multiple apologies – including a reportedly unauthorised live interview – Netflix focused all of its energy into promoting supporting actress candidate Zoe Saldaña on the awards season circuit.

It has now been confirmed that Gascón will be in attendance at the Oscars this week, as well as France’s equivalent, the César Awards, after skipping the likes of the Critics Choice Awards, Baftas and SAG Awards – where she was also nominated – as she laid low, having also had Netflix withdraw its financial and logistical support of her campaign.

Saldaña had the unenviable task of addressing the fall out shortly afterwards at a Q&A for the film in London, saying that it ‘made her really sad because I don’t support it’, while director Jacques Audiard insisted at first that he didn’t want to speak to Gascón – before making more conciliatory noises towards her onstage at the Baftas.

It’s unknown whether or not she will walk the red carpet, but Netflix is reported to be covering her travel costs after all – as is customary for studios – while Gascón told The Hollywood Reporter she was ‘grateful to be back’ and ready to ‘close this beautiful and difficult path that began three years ago’.

Co-star Zoe Saldaña has become the focus of Netflix’s Oscar campaigning instead, and said she was ‘saddened’ by Gascón’s comments(Picture: Getty)

But any cold reception Gascón may receive could pale in comparison to possible fraught interactions between creatives, crew and industry members who are on either side of the gulf between those of pro-Israel and pro-Palestine persuasion.

According to Deadline, a fiery statement has been issued by collective Brigade in response to Artists4Ceasefire asking attendees of the 2025 Academy Awards to once again wear its red hand pins in support of Gaza.

Brigade, initially formed by a group of top-tier Hollywood publicists, execs and producers the day after Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel on October 7 2023 – and now believed to number over 700 creatives and industry members – has claimed the pin ‘is the emblem of Jewish bloodshed’.

Artists4Ceasefire is another collective formed that same month, currently numbering around 550, with the goal of advocating for a permanent ceasefire, full hostage release and delivery of aid to Gaza.

The Artists4Ceasefire campaign and pin (worn here by Billie Eilish at the 2024 Oscars) has also stirred up criticism from the collective, Brigade (Picture: Sarah Morris/WireImage)

Brigade sent its letter after the bodies of 10-month-old Kfir Bibas and 4-year-old Ariel Bibas were returned to Israel on February 20; while Hamas claimed the hostages were killed in an Israeli airstrike, the IDF insists an autopsy proves the children were murdered at the hands of their captors.

‘Today, we will not be silent,’ vowed the group in its letter, continuing: ‘On February 20, the same day the world learned 10-month-old Kfir Bibas and his 4-year-old brother Ariel were strangled to death by their terrorist captors in Gaza, you doubled down – urging celebrities to proudly wear your bloodstained red hand pin.

Follow Metro on WhatsApp to be the first to get all the latest news

Follow us to receive the latest news updates from Metro (Picture: Getty Images)

Metro’s on Whatsapp! Join our community for breaking news and juicy stories.

‘Have you no shame? That pin is no symbol of peace. It is the emblem of Jewish bloodshed.’

The Artists4Ceasefire pin is red and features a hand holding a heart on it, and was first worn by the likes of Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef and Ava DuVernay at the 2024 Oscars.

Intended as a show of support for a ceasefire in Gaza, Brigade and members of the Jewish community argue that it is in fact an image referencing an incident in 2000 in the West Bank where several IDF soldiers were killed.

Brigade claims the pin is ‘the emblem of Jewish bloodshed’, seen here on Mark Ruffalo’s lapel (Picture: AFP via Getty)

‘Palestinian terrorists in Ramallah lynched two innocent Israelis, ripped them apart limb by limb, and held up their blood-soaked hands to a cheering mob. That infamous image is now your “ceasefire” badge,’ claims Brigade in its impassioned missive.

According to Artists4Ceasefire, the pin’s red background symbolises ‘the urgency of the call to save lives’, while the orange hand ‘conveys the beautiful community of people from all backgrounds that have come together in support of centering our shared humanity’, and the heart ‘is an invitation for us to lead with our hearts, always, to lead with love’, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Brigade signed off its statement by adding of the pin: ‘To those who wore it without knowing – now you know. To those who knew and wore it anyway – we see you and we will not be silent.’

They have vowed they will ‘not be silent’ towards those wearing the pin again at this year’s Oscars (pictured: US actor Ramy Youssef last year) (Picture: Getty)

It is a far from enviable position for the Oscars to be in, potentially having to pre-empt erupting hostilities on the red carpet or at the ceremony.

However, offering the biggest stage in showbiz – and one of the most talked about annual events in the world – has meant that any number of statements, political or otherwise, has been made in the past.

From Marlon Brando sending Sacheen Littlefeather to decline his Oscar as a protest against the treatment of Native Americans in 1973 to filmmaker Michael Moore slamming President George W. Bush in 2003 for entering the Iraq War, industry members have found it hard to resist the allure of using the strongest spotlight of the year to advocate for causes about which they feel strongly.

It will not be the first time political or social matters might be addressed at the Oscars, with a famous example being Marlon Brando sending Sacheen Littlefeather to decline his 1973 Academy Award (Picture: Bettmann Archive)

Leonardo DiCaprio dedicated his long-awaited best actor acceptance speech in 2016 to the ‘urgent threat’ of climate change, while the #OscarsSoWhite social media protests of 2015 sparked a conscious drive to increase the diversity of Academy membership thereafter.

It remains to be seen how history will look back on the Academy Awards this year.

Metro has contacted the Academy for comment.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.