Sean Penn’s absence from the 2026 Oscars quickly became a point of discussion following his win in the supporting actor category. While viewers speculated about the reason, new details have since emerged that may explain why he did not attend the ceremony.
Sean Penn seemingly didn’t attend Oscars to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine
Sean Penn did not attend the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony, where he won best supporting actor, because he was in Kyiv meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Ukrainian officials and a released photo dated March 16. His absence during the announcement led presenter Kieran Culkin to state, “Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening, or didn’t want to.”
Zelenskyy confirmed the meeting on X, writing, “Sean, thanks to you, we know what a true friend of Ukraine is. You have stood with Ukraine since the first day of the full-scale war. This is still true today. And we know that you will continue to stand with our country and our people.” The Ukrainian Presidential Press Office also released an image of the meeting.
Penn won the award for his role as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in One Battle After Another, a film that also received multiple nominations. Culkin accepted the award on his behalf at the Dolby Theatre ceremony on March 15. Penn has previously won Academy Awards for Mystic River in 2003 and for portraying Harvey Milk in Milk.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Penn has made multiple visits to the country, raised funds, and supported awareness efforts related to the conflict. He also co-directed the documentary Superpower in 2023, which focused on Ukraine and Zelenskyy. Penn gave one of his Oscars to Zelenskyy in 2022 and told him to return it “after all this is over and his country is safe.”
Penn has previously missed award ceremonies, including the BAFTA Awards and Actor Awards, despite winning in the same category. He has not attended the Oscars during earlier nominations. His activities outside filmmaking include humanitarian work, journalism, and reporting in Haiti and the Middle East.
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on ComingSoon.net.
