Selena Gomez claps back at actor Eugenio Derbez's criticism of her Spanish in 'Emilia Pérez'
Selena Gomez isn't backing down against criticism.
The actress took to TikTok to defend her performance in the musical crime film Emilia Pérez, where she plays Jessi Del Monte.
In a clip from the Hablando de Cine podcast, Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez criticized the actress' Spanish.
"Selena is indefensible," Derbez said. "I was there [watching the movie] with people, and every time a scene came [with her in it], we looked at each other to say, 'Wow, what is this?'"
The podcast's host Gaby Meza then brought up how Gomez is a "very talented actress" and "very good singer," but "Spanish is neither her primary nor secondary language nor fifth."
The CODA actor then went on to question the award buzz that the film has generated.
"I feel like what happens is they don't speak Spanish," he said of the watchers. "If you watch a Russian film or a German film that is subtitled in Spanish and you see someone [speaking in the original language], you say, 'Oh, look. OK. How interesting," Derbez said.
Gomez claps back, Derbez apologizes
Gomez responded to the sentiments in the TikTok comments section.
"I understand where you are coming from... 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," she wrote.
Derbez has since apologized to Gomez for his "careless comments."
"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," he wrote.
"Emilia Pérez deserves to be celebrated, not diminished by my thoughtless remarks. 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."
Emilia Pérez stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Adriana Paz, and Zoe Saldaña. It has received critical acclaim since its May premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it was picked to compete for the Palme d'Or.
In preparation for the film, Gomez spent six months taking Spanish lessons as she lost her fluency after moving to California at a young age.
"I got my first job at 7, and most of my jobs from that point on were English. And I just lost [my Spanish]. That's the kind of case for a lot of people, especially Mexican American people," she told NPR's Fresh Air.
"I wish I just knew a lot more than I do. But I think that's why I try to honor my culture as much as possible—from releasing an album in Spanish to wanting to pursue this movie. And I don't think it'll be the last thing I do in Spanish."
