Eugenio Derbez is walking back his harsh comments about Selena Gomez‘s performance in the Netflix musical movie Emilia Pérez.
During a recent appearance on the Hablando de Cine podcast, the Mexican actor and comedian criticized Gomez’s attempt at speaking Spanish in the film, calling her performance “indefensible.”
Gomez, who plays Jessi del Monte in the Jacques Audiard-directed film, speaks Spanish in the movie but is not fluent in the language.
“Selena is indefensible,” Derbez said in a clip from the podcast, which was shared on TikTok. “I was there [watching the movie] with people, and every time a scene came [with her in it], we looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, what is this?’”
Derbez agreed with Hablando de Cine host Gaby Meza, who suggested that Gomez struggled to add nuance to her performance because Spanish isn’t her first language and she didn’t fully understand what she was saying.
Gomez responded to the criticism in the comments section of the TikTok post. “I understand where you are coming from. I’m sorry I did the best I could with the time I was given,” the Only Murders in the Building actress wrote. “Doesn’t take away from how much work and heart I put into this movie.”
The Grammy-nominated singer and actress also addressed Derbez’s comments directly: “Also, do not ever say my fans are the problem standing up, as you say, for me.”
The CODA star later posted an apology to Gomez in a letter posted to TikTok. “I truly apologize for my careless comments — they are indefensible and go against everything I stand for,” Derbez wrote. “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.”
Emilia Pérez tells the story of cartel boss Manitas del Monte (played by Sofía Gascón), who retires from the business to undergo gender reassignment surgery and become the titular character. The film’s plot is further defined by musical numbers that blend rock, pop and rap, all sung in Spanish, capturing the transformation of its central characters. The film also stars Zoe Saldaña.