MADRID, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Spanish actress Karla Sofia

Gascon apologised on Friday for past social media posts

denigrating Muslims and other groups and said she would go

silent to help her movie "Emilia Perez" ahead of the Academy

Awards, in which it was nominated in 13 categories.

The first transgender person nominated for an acting Oscar

saw her odds plummet in recent weeks after old posts on X,

formerly Twitter, resurfaced and sparked outrage due to

reportedly derogatory comments about several groups including

Muslims.

"I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been hurt along

the way," Gascon said on her Instagram account.

"I decided, for the film, for (director) Jacques (Audiard),

for the cast, for the incredible crew who deserves it, for the

beautiful adventure we all had together, to let the work talk

for itself, hoping my silence will allow the film to be

appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to love and

difference," Gascon said.

Spanish-born Gascon did not deny having made the comments on

X, though she said they were taken out of context.

"Neither I nor my family are racist, never, quite the

opposite," she said in a prior Instagram post earlier this week.

She added that no one had defended her when she was criticised

about her old posts.

Her Friday post mentioned an interview with the film's

French director Audiard, in which he did not support her and

criticised her old comments.

"Emilia Perez", a Spanish-language story of a Mexican drug

lord who transitions to a woman and starts a new life, earned 13

Oscar nods and has already garnered four Golden Globes awards,

including Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldana.

The movie, produced by Netflix ( NFLX ), has been met with a

strong backlash in Mexico for its poor Spanish, use of

stereotypes and filming in Paris with few Mexican cast members.

Audiences have also said the film misrepresents the issue of

forced disappearances. More than 100,000 people are missing in

Mexico.