Selena Gomez Responds to Criticism of Her Role in "Emilia Pérez"

Selena Gomez has responded to criticism of her performance in the film “Emilia Pérez,” following comments made by veteran actor Eugenio Derbez. Derbez criticized her Spanish-language acting on a recent “Hablando de Cine” podcast episode.

Derbez did not hold back, saying, “Selena is indefensible.” He mentioned that he and the other viewers exchanged bewildered expressions during her scenes. The primary concern was Gomez’s ability to deliver lines in Spanish, which is not her first language. The podcast host, Gaby Meza, remarked that the language barrier impairs the audience’s impression of her performance.

Derbez speculated that the film’s international success could be due to a language barrier. He likened the situation to viewers watching subtitled films without understanding the nuances of the original language.

This critique comes as “Emilia Pérez” gets traction on the awards circuit. Gomez and co-stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Adriana Paz, and Zoe Saldaña won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, adding to the film’s Oscar buzz.

Gomez responded directly after a video of Derbez’s remarks became viral on TikTok. “I understand where you are coming from,” she wrote. “I’m sorry; I did my best with the time given. It doesn’t detract from how much effort and love I put into this film.” She defended her fans by saying, “Also, do not ever say my fans are the problem standing up, as you say, for me.”

The film delivers a beautiful story about transformation. It follows Emilia, a cartel leader, as she hires a lawyer to assist her in faking her death and start living as her true self.

Derbez’s judgment went beyond Gomez’s acting. He questioned the film’s production, noting that director Jacques Audiard is French and speaks neither Spanish nor English. “It’s like if I wanted to make a film in Russian without knowing the culture or Russian and speaking in French,” according to him.

Despite the controversy, “Emilia Pérez” continues to gain critical accolades. Gomez’s performance is still much discussed in the worldwide film community.