Last month, Selena Gomez premiered her new movie, Emilia Pérez, alongside Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón.
Released on Netflix on Nov. 13, it's a Spanish-language musical-comedy that follows a lawyer as she tries to help a drug lord build a new life. Selena spent six months relearning Spanish for the role.
And even though Selena has received some praise for her performance — with some critics speculating she could even be a surprise Oscar contender — she's also received some criticism.
Most recently, it came from CODA and Dora and the Lost City of Gold actor Eugenio Derbez, who criticized Selena for her Spanish.
Appearing on an upcoming episode of the Hablando de Cine con podcast, translated from Spanish by the Hollywood Reporter, Eugenio said, "Selena is indefensible."
"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?'"
Host Gaby Meza called Selena "very talented," noting her Emmy nomination for Only Murders in the Building. But when it comes to Selena's performance in Emilia, Gaby found it "unconvincing."
"Spanish is neither her primary nor secondary language nor fifth," Gaby noted. "And that’s why I feel she doesn’t know what she is saying, and if she doesn’t know what she’s saying, she can’t give her acting any nuance. … And that is why her performance is not only unconvincing but uncomfortable."
"I’m glad you’re saying that," Eugenio replied, "because I was saying, 'I can’t believe no one is talking about it?'"
Well, Selena saw them talking about her after the clip was shared on TikTok — and she quickly hit the comments to respond.
"I understand where you are coming from," she began. "I'm sorry I did the best I could with the time I was given."
At the same time, Selena said it also "doesn't take away from how much work and heart I put into this movie."
And people in the comments agreed.
One person said it "broke my heart seeing her comment," earning over 25,000 likes.
"I loved the movie and Selena Gomez," a second fan said.
"I mean her character was from the states so I think her accent was great for her character," someone else argued.
On the other hand, some fans saw it as constructive criticism. "There is a difference between speaking a language monotone, not matching the accent/emotion. VS actually matching emotion and using the accents in phrases, this is crucial when you speak Spanish," one person said.
"He has an accent but he KNOWS what he’s saying, he’s not just reading the words," stressed another.
"Thank God someone finally is talking about this!!!! I 100% agree," read a third comment with 13,000 likes.
Still, Eugenio ultimately apologized for his comments, saying they were "wrong," "thoughtless," and went against "everything I stand for."
