"I live with no regrets" — Selena Gomez thinks it will be hard to get back to music after Emilia Pérez

The American singer and actress Selena Gomez recently opened up about her experience working on Emilia Pérez and the controversy surrounding the Oscar-nominated film. Speaking at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday, February 9, Gomez reflected on her time filming the project and expressed her desire to focus on acting over music for the foreseeable future.

The film, which leads the Oscars with 13 nominations, has faced backlash due to resurfaced social media posts from lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón. The posts, which reemerged in late January, included controversial statements about Muslims, George Floyd, and diversity at the Academy Awards.

In response, Netflix distanced itself from Gascón and withdrew financial support for her awards campaign. Despite the controversy, Selena Gomez expressed pride in her work.

"Some of the magic has disappeared. But I choose to continue to be proud of what I've done, and I'm just grateful. I live with no regrets, and I would do this movie over and over again if I could," she said at the event.

Selena Gomez was also dragged into the controversy when an alleged 2022 tweet from Gascón referred to her as a "rich rat" resurfaced. However, Gascón denied the authenticity of the post during an interview with CNN en Español on February 1, 2025.

"Of course that's not mine. I have never said anything about my partner. I would never refer to her that way," Gascón claimed.

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Selena Gomez reflects on Emilia Pérez's impact and her future in acting

Selena Gomez spoke about her film Emilia Pérez at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 9, 2025 (Image via Getty)

During the moderated conversation at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Selena Gomez also shared that Emilia Pérez had a profound impact on her career. She credited director Jacques Audiard for believing in her, saying:

"Just having someone see something in me besides the obvious was such a special experience. The director just really trusted me, and I was so grateful because I've gotten to show people that I am capable of doing more. I hope this is just the beginning for me in this field."

She also revealed her reluctance to return to music after this experience. Shocking many fans in the crowd, she admitted:

"I don't know, it's going to be hard for me to ever go back to music after this"

Although she did not receive an Oscar nomination for her performance, Selena Gomez was recognized with nominations at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes. She is also nominated alongside the cast for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the upcoming SAG Awards, set to air on Netflix on February 23, as stated by Variety.

Emilia Pérez marks Selena Gomez's first major film role since voicing a character in Hotel Transylvania 4 (2022). The French-Spanish musical, in which she stars alongside Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, where it won the Best Actress Prize.

At the event, Selena Gomez described the filming process as "actually very cathartic" and admitted she had only watched the film once in full.

"I watched in Cannes, and then I started to watch it with my family and got nervous. My grandparents were seeing me say some stuff, and I was like, 'Okay'... It was beautiful. I get very weird watching stuff sometimes, but I couldn't have been more proud."

Gascón, who plays a Mexican cartel leader seeking gender-affirming surgery in the film, has been at the center of the backlash. After journalist Sarah Hagi highlighted the actresses' past social media posts, Gascón faced widespread criticism. She later addressed the issue in last week's interview on CNN en Español, stating:

"I have not committed any crime nor have I harmed anyone. I am neither racist nor anything that all these people have tried to make others believe I am."

Meanwhile, costar Zoe Saldaña also commented on the controversy in a recent Awards Circuit podcast episode.

"I'm very sad. I'm also disappointed," Saldaña said.

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In other news, Selena Gomez has confirmed that a new album is in the works. She recently released the single Love On in 2024, hinting at more music to come. She also continues her acting career with Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, which has been renewed for a fourth season.

Additionally, she is producing and starring in the upcoming biopic In the Shadow of the Mountain, based on the memoir of Silvia Vásquez-Lavado.