Bill Maher Says the ‘Cancel Culture’ Is Why ‘Emilia Pérez’ Lost to ‘Anora:’ “It just happened at the Oscars”

The 2025 Academy Awards took an unexpected turn, and comedian Bill Maher says cancel culture is to blame. During a recent episode of his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher, he told guest David Sedaris that the night’s big winner, Anora, only rose to the top because of a scandal that sank another film, Emilia Pérez. Maher insists this proves cancel culture is alive and well in Hollywood, even if it’s quieter than before.

Emilia Pérez, a Netflix musical about a trans cartel leader, started as the favorite to dominate the Oscars. It led with 13 nominations, and its star, Karla Sofía Gascón, was on track to make history as the first openly trans woman to win Best Actress.

Hollywood was excited about the milestone. “Hollywood loved the idea that they would finally have a person, who was a trans person, win Best Actress,” Maher said on his show. He praised Gascón’s work too, noting, “God bless her, she did a great job.”

But everything changed when old tweets from Gascón, posted between 2020 and 2021, came back to haunt her. The posts included controversial takes on George Floyd, Muslims, the Black Lives Matter movement, and diversity at the Oscars. Public backlash was swift, and her awards campaign crumbled.

Maher called the tweets “a little childlike” and compared them to Kanye West’s unfiltered style, saying, “It was a little Kanye-esque, just whatever’s on the brain comes out.” He added, “And then some things she said, which are just, ‘Oh yeah. You know what? I’ve said things like that.’ It’s just very, very honest. But of course, the woke community — it was way too far.” He even offered a tip: “Just don’t mention Hitler. I feel like it never comes out good.”

The fallout was brutal. “And this movie, that was going to win it all, it was the front-runner, and she was going to get all… suddenly was out to lunch,” Maher explained. Emilia Pérez went from a sure bet to a long shot almost overnight. While it still picked up two wins—Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña and Best Original Song for “El Mal”—it lost the top prizes, including Best Picture and Best Actress.

That opened the door for Anora, a smaller indie film directed by Sean Baker. It swept the night, grabbing five awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Mikey Madison, Original Screenplay, and Film Editing. “And good news for Anora. That’s what happened,” Maher said. “So yes, cancel culture is still with us. It may just be a little more subtle.”

Gascón didn’t stay silent after the controversy. She showed up at the Oscars, even after skipping most other award events, and issued an apology. “I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt,” she said. “As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.” Still, the damage was done, and her shot at the Best Actress trophy slipped away.

Maher’s point was clear: cancel culture didn’t just fade away—it evolved. Emilia Pérez had the buzz and the nominations, but Gascón’s past posts shifted the momentum. Whether it fully explains Anora’s victory is up for debate, but the night proved one thing: in Hollywood, old tweets can still change the game.