Eugenio Derbez apologizes after Selena Gomez replies to his criticism of her Spanish in 'Emilia Perez'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Pop icon Selena Gomez has received an apology from Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez's after she responded politely to his "careless comments" about her Spanish in her latest film, 'Emilia Perez', Marca reported on Monday, December 9. 

Known for films such as 'How to Be a Latin Lover', Derbez, 63, sparked a controversy by calling Gomez's Spanish "indefensible" in an episode of the podcast 'Hablando de Cine,' which has since been deleted.

"I watched 'Emilia Perez' with people, and every time she had a scene, we looked at each other and said, 'Wow, what is this?'" he said. While he claimed that the movie had "salvageable" elements, he believed Gomez's drawback was too evident.

Selena Gomez's response to Eugenio Derbez's criticism

Selena Gomez, 32, apparently became aware of the criticism and provided a dignified response in the comments of a TikTok clip of the podcast that had been shared on the social media app.

"I understand where you're coming from... I'm sorry, I did the best I could with the time I was given," she stated. "It doesn't take away from the work and heart I put into this movie."

The bilingual star speaks both Spanish and English in 'Emilia Perez', a film that has been critically well-received and reportedly earned a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.

The podcast host Gaby Meza called Gomez a "very talented" actress for whom Spanish was not the "main language, nor her secondary or fifth." However, he did feel that she "doesn't know what she's saying" and, therefore, "can't give her acting any nuance."

Eugenio Derbez's apology to Selena Gomez

Following the controversy over his criticism, Derbez apologized to Gomez over TikTok, saying, "I truly apologize for my careless comments - they are indefensible and go against everything I stand for."

As Latinos, he stated that it was important to support one another and shared his admiration for the pop star's personality and work.

"'Emilia Perez' deserves to be celebrated, not diminished by my thoughtless remarks. I'm walking away from this with an important lesson learned," he noted.

Fans support Selena Gomez online

Selena Gomez fans slammed Derbez for his comments on social media and cheered for the star when she received his apology. The following tweets demonstrate their takes.

"His comment was very insensitive. Selena was perfect for the role and did an amazing job. I’m glad he apologized, but it still comes off as him just apologizing because of the backlash," wrote a user.

"As he should! Selena Gomez did an amazing job! I hope she wins an award now!" exclaimed another on the apology.

"It's always good to see people owning up to their mistakes," noted a third.

"Selena doesn't care! Leave her alone!!" quipped a fourth.

"So you publicly drag her and then backtrack? Weird asf," commented a fifth.

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