Third Oscar win, but no appearance in Hollywood
Sean Penn did not attend the 98th Academy Awards even though he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in One Battle After Another. His absence immediately became one of the most discussed moments of the ceremony, as Penn was announced as the winner but was not present in the hall to accept the award in person.
The win marked Penn’s third Academy Award, placing him among the small group of male actors with three acting Oscars. Reports also noted that presenter Kieran Culkin handled the on-stage moment after Penn’s name was called, acknowledging that the winner was not there.
Why did he miss the ceremony
The reason for Penn’s absence was not linked to scheduling confusion or a private withdrawal from public life but to his trip to Ukraine, where he traveled instead of attending the Hollywood ceremony. Reuters reported that Penn skipped the Oscars and took a train to Kyiv, with his arrival kept discreet for security reasons.
Shortly after the ceremony, public images and statements confirmed that Penn was in Kyiv meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy publicly thanked him for the visit and praised his continued support for Ukraine, describing him as a genuine friend of the country.
Long-standing support for Ukraine
Penn’s decision to miss the Oscars fits into a broader pattern of public engagement with Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Coverage emphasized that he has repeatedly visited the country, spoken out in its defense, and maintained a close public relationship with Zelenskyy during the war.
His connection to Ukraine has also included symbolic and creative gestures. Reports recalled that Penn lent one of his previous Oscars to Zelenskyy in 2022 as a sign of solidarity, and later co-directed the documentary Superpower, released in 2023, focusing on Zelenskyy and the war.
A continuation of his distance from the awards circuit
Penn’s no-show at the Oscars was also presented as consistent with his behavior throughout this awards season. Coverage noted that he had already been absent from several other major ceremonies despite being in contention, making his decision not to attend the Academy Awards less surprising than it might otherwise have seemed.
At the same time, the decision carried extra weight because the Oscars remain the highest-profile platform in the film industry, and Penn was not merely a nominee but a winner. That contrast — receiving one of the Academy’s top acting prizes while physically being in a war zone rather than at the Dolby Theatre — gave the story unusual symbolic force.
What the moment signaled
The episode was widely interpreted as a reflection of Penn’s priorities at this stage of his public life: placing political and humanitarian engagement above Hollywood ceremony, even on a night that added another major award to his career. The images from Kyiv and the statements from Zelenskyy effectively answered the question that hung over the Oscars broadcast after his name was announced.
Rather than using the ceremony to celebrate a third Oscar in front of the film industry, Penn chose to be in Ukraine, turning what could have been a standard acceptance moment into one of the most politically resonant stories to emerge from Oscars 2026.
