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On Sunday, March 2, the Best Actress Oscar nominee Karla Sofía Gascón attended the 97th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Despite being at the center of an award-season scandal for her past offensive tweets, Gascón made a striking appearance in a single-shoulder, diamond-studded black dress.
Gascón, 52, chose to skip the red carpet but was later spotted inside the star-filled event in a photo captured by The Hollywood Reporter just before the show began. This marked her first appearance at a major award show since facing backlash for her controversial social media posts.
She had previously skipped several other major award shows and did not attend the Oscar nominee dinner at the Academy Museum on Tuesday, Feb. 25. However, Gascón did attend the recent 50th annual César Awards in Paris on Friday, Feb. 28, where she was nominated for Best Actress.
Mexico-set musical-thriller Emilia Pérez, in which Gascón plays the titular role, heads into the 97th Academy Awards as the most-nominated film with 13 nods, including Best Picture. Gascón, the first openly transgender star to be nominated for Best Actress, has been under scrutiny for her past social media posts criticizing various topics.
Following the backlash, Gascón deactivated her social media accounts and issued several statements and interviews refuting accusations of racism. In an Instagram post on Feb. 6, she apologized for her past comments and expressed hope that the focus would shift back to the film itself.
Her costar Zoe Saldaña, nominated for Best Supporting Actress, also spoke out about the controversy, expressing disappointment in Gascón's actions but pride in the film. Saldaña emphasized her stance against negative rhetoric towards any group and reaffirmed her support for the body of work they had created.
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See PEOPLE's full coverage of the 97th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien and airing on ABC.
