Sean Penn Skips Oscars To Meet Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Category Icon

Sean Penn’s absence from Sunday’s 2026 Oscars ceremony has been explained after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a photo of their meeting. Penn won best supporting actor for One Battle After Another but wasn’t present when Kieran Culkin accepted on his behalf, telling the audience “Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening — or didn’t want to.” The New York Times reported Penn was in Ukraine, citing sources close to the actor. Zelensky thanked Penn 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.” Penn co-directed the 2023 documentary Superpower about Zelensky and has supported Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion. This marks Penn’s third Oscar win, tying the record for most acting wins by a male performer alongside Jack Nicholson, Walter Brennan and Daniel Day-Lewis.