Selena Gomez at IndieWire Honors 2024 at Citizen News on Dec. 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Originally appeared on E! Online
Selena Gomez is killing ‘em with kindness.
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The "Emilia Pérez" actress defended herself after CODA’s Eugenio Derbez labeled her performance in the film “indefensible.”
“I understand where you are coming from,” Gomez commented on a Dec. 8 TikTok video of the 63-year-old criticizing her Spanish. “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.”
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As for why he wasn’t a fan of the Grammy-nominated singer’s performance? Derbez expressed his qualms about Gomez’s use of Spanish as a non-fluent speaker.
“I was there with people,” he told host Gaby Meza on an upcoming episode of the "Hablando de Cine" podcast, “and every time a scene came, we looked at each other to say, ‘Wow, what is this?’”
But once the Mexican actor got wind of Gomez's response to the criticism, he had a change.
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“I truly apologize for my careless comments — they are indefensible and go against everything I stand for,” he wrote in his Dec. 8 TikTok post to Selena, who is also part Mexican. “As Latinos, we should always support one another. There’s no excuse. I was wrong, and I deeply admire your career and your kind heart.”
“Emilia Pérez deserves to be celebrated, not diminished by my thoughtless remarks,” he continued. “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.”
After all, Gomez has always embraced her identity.
“I’m always very vocal about my background, as far as me talking about immigration, and my grandparents having to come across the border illegally,” she said in a 2020 interview with Dazed. “I wouldn’t have been born otherwise.”
“I have such an appreciation for my last name,” she continued. “I’ve rereleased a lot of music in Spanish as well, and that’s something that’s gonna happen a bit more. So there’s a lot more I would love to do because I don’t take it lightly, I’m very honoured.”
Now, ahead of the 2025 Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 5, the comedy thriller leads the musical or comedy category with 10 nominations, including Best Motion Picture and Gomez’s nomination for Best Performance By a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
