‘Emilia Perez’ Star Karla Sofia Gascón Files Official Complaint Against French Far-Right Politician For Transphobic Comments

Karla Sofia Gascón has filed a complaint with the Paris Public Prosecutor against French far-right leader Marion Maréchal-Le Pen for transphobic comments the politician posted on social media following her Best Actress win at the Cannes Film Festival over the weekend.

Gascón made history on Saturday as the first transgender actress to win the Cannes Best Actress prize alongside co-stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz for their performances in Jacques Audiard’s gangster musical Emilia Perez.

Responding to the win on X, Maréchal Le Pen wrote: “So a man has won the Best Actress prize…  progress for the left is the erasure of women and mothers.”

Gascón’s complaint is for “sexist contempt related to gender identity”. The offence carries a $4,066 (3,750 euros) fine.

In a statement, Gascón’s lawyer Etienne Deshoulières explained the offence had been introduced into France’s Criminal Code in April 2023 to combat “offensive and humiliating remarks aimed at transgender women, such as misgendering”.

Gascón’s legal stand follows hot on the heels of a complaint filed on Monday against Maréchal-Le Pen by six French LGBT+ groups for the offence of “insult due to gender identity”, which is punishable by a maximum one year prison sentence and a fine of $48,000 (45,000 euros).

Deshoulières suggest Gascón’s separate filing added weight to the legal action.

“Only the person targeted by the comments can act on this basis,” he said. “It was therefore necessary for Karla Sofia Gascón to act alongside the LGBT+ associations to condemn Marion Maréchal for sexist comtempt due to gender identity.”

Maréchal Le Pen dismissed the first filing in an interview with French radio station France Inter on Tuesday saying she would not be “intimidated by legal threats from LGBT militant-activists”.