Selena Gomez Defends ‘Emilia Perez’ Spanish After Eugenio Derbez’s Criticism

Selena Gomez responded to actor Eugenio Derbez’s criticism of her Emilia Pérez accent. “I understand where you are coming from,” Gomez wrote on TikTok. “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.” Emilia Pérez, a Spanish-language musical drama about a transgender woman’s journey, stars Gomez alongside Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoë Saldaña. “Selena is indefensible,” Derbez said in Spanish on a recent podcast. “I [watched Emilia Pérez] with people, and every time she had a scene, we looked at each other to say, ‘Wow, what is this?’” Gomez, not a native Spanish speaker, took lessons for the role. Despite the critiques, Derbez highlighted that Gomez is a talented actress, and pointed out many positive aspects of Emilia Pérez while also calling out the director’s lack of cultural understanding. (Us Weekly)