Emilia Pérez star Zoe Saldaña was reportedly cut off on stage at the 2025 BAFTAs after swearing numerous times in an emotional acceptance speech following her win
Zoe Saldaña was abruptly cut off mid-rant during her emotional, expletive-strewn acceptance speech at the 2025 BAFTAs.
The Hollywood star, 46, bagged the Best Actress in a Supporting Role gong for her portrayal of Rita Mora Castro in the hotly debated musical Emilia Pérez.
She triumphed over a star-studded line-up including Jamie Lee Curtis, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Felicity Jones, and Isabella Rossellini.
The Marvel sensation seemed gobsmacked as she hit the stage, but as she got into her speech, emotions ran high, her voice quivered, and a few choice words slipped out as she expressed gratitude to her fellow cast members and the crew from the flick, reports the Mirror.
She blurted out: “I was told not to cry by my children, so I’ll try. This is so validating and a true honour, because the very few times that I went for a part with a British accent or dialect coach, I was like, ‘This is not going to happen to you.’
“Even though I have a lot of British friends, I find myself repeating all their phrases, and I know that I’m a pain in the a***.”
Zoe emotionally continued: “Bafta thank you, this was a creative challenge of a lifetime. How do you begin to even approach a film that not just defies categorisation, and you start by taking the leap with Jacques Audiard.
“I want to thank my wonderful cast… Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds and I hope I did something like this.
“Voices need to be heard, just not my English accent.”
Her heartfelt speech grew more intense as she acknowledged her family, becoming tearful when mentioning her mother, husband, and kids.
The actress declared: “I’m dedicating all of these awards and the film Emilia Pérez to my nephew, Eli. He is the reason – they are the reason – I signed up to do this film in the first place.
“So as the proud aunt of a trans life, I will always stand with my community of trans people.”
However, the mood turned comical when faced with a countdown mid-speech, prompting an outburst from Zoe: “Oh my god I’m getting a countdown. F*** f*** f***! “
Although the awards broadcast skipped her colourful conclusion, opting to show her elegantly exiting stage, award in hand, earlier triumphs were also celebrated as Emilia Pérez scooped up the prize for Best Film Not in the English Language.
The film has been embroiled in a series of controversies since its release last year. Initially, it faced criticism from Mexican performers who accused the filmmakers of not employing Mexican talent for the roles.
The situation worsened when lead actress Karla Sofia faced severe backlash over past tweets that resurfaced. In response to the scandal potentially overshadowing the film’s success, she withdrew from the awards circuit.
Despite still being in the running for an Oscar next month, she is unlikely to grace the ceremony with her presence.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
