Why Sean Penn didn’t show up to Oscars after viewers left divided over his win

Sean Penn just won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

However, the 65-year-old American star was a no-show, so he wasn't actually there in person to accept his big win.

He beat his co-star Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another, Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein, Delroy Lindo in Sinners, and Stellan Skarsgård in Sentimental Value.

People are divided over the win, with some fans disappointed by his absence and others thinking it doesn't matter so much whether he was in attendance or not.

Penn missing the Oscars is not a huge surprise, as he previously didn't attend the Actor Awards and BAFTA Awards, despite winning for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at both.

Reportedly, the actor has long had a complicated relationship with awards shows and Hollywood in general, as per TV Insider.

Back in 2023, he revealed to Variety that he considered melting down the two Oscars he had previously won to provide Ukraine with ammunition in its war against Russia.

Kieran Culkin accepted the Oscar on Penn's behalf, saying, “Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening or didn’t want to. So I’ll be accepting this award on his behalf.”

As for exactly why he's not here this time, the reason is unknown, but New York Times reported that the actor 'headed to Europe' and that 'his plan as of late last week was to visit Ukraine, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter'.

Allegedly, they did not specify what he would be doing there or where precisely within the country he would be going, and made it clear that there's a 'possibility' that his 'itinerary might have changed.'

His rep also declined to comment to the publication. Tyla has contacted Penn's reps for comment.

Reacting to his victory, one X user wrote: "SEAN PENN and he didn’t even show up??? BE SO F***ING FR RN #Oscars."

While a second penned: "Sean Penn just won his third Oscar and he's not there the way he DGAF lmao. But it's a deserved win. #Oscars."

A third wrote: "Hey, Kieran Culkin. You didn’t have to add that jab at the end of SEAN PENN winning his OSCAR. Saying he didn’t want to be here. #Oscars."

While a fourth quipped: "No, seriously?!!! SEAN PENN?!!!! And he was a no show, y'all deserved that L! #Oscars."

And a fifth agreed: "Yeah, let’s give a third Oscar to Sean Penn, who doesn’t even care enough to be there. He’s great in One Battle After Another, but this is a joke #Oscars."

Meanwhile, a sixth pointed out: "Sean Penn was never going to show up… #Oscars."

Most awkward Oscars celebrity interactions

Angelina Jolie kissing her brother on the red carpet (2001)

I hate to be the person to bring this up again because I know we're all trying to forget it but, at the 2001 Oscars red carpet, Jolie rather intimately kissed her brother, James, on the lips... in front of actual people.

The moment makes it onto all the awkward, gag-inducing, Oscar round ups and although since, people have come to their defence, saying how, at the time, they'd found out their mum was sick with cancer, sadly, that's not he part people remember.

Adrien Brody kissing Halle Berry without her consent (2003)

Yes, another kissing one - sorry. The Monster's Ball Oscar winner had a very awkward moment at the ceremony in 2003, when The Pianist star Adrien Brody received his first ever Oscar win and decided to celebrate by planting one on Berry without her consent.

As if it wasn't awkward enough the first time, she got her payback at the 2025 ceremony, but there's no doubt that now infamous moment takes the crown as one of the cringiest things to happen at the Oscars.

Jennifer Aniston coming face to face with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (2009)

The split heard around the world was that of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, after he cheated on her with Angelina Jolie and the whole world wouldn't let Aniston forget it.

To add insult to injury, in 2009 - five years on from the fiasco - Aniston took to the stage with Jack Black to present an award and who was sat right there, up, close and personal in the audience you ask? Take a wild guess...

The camera person even had the audacity to pan to the pair during her bit with Black, and showed the pair laughing and smiling. Whether you think she looked uncomfortable or not, she handled it like a pro just by showing up because I know a few people would have called in sick to work that day.

Sacha Baron throws ashes at Ryan Seacrest (2012)

Who doesn't love an Oscar's red carpet stunt? I mean, Bjork dressed up as a swan and laid an egg on the red carpet, and it's safe to say, without these moments it's just a parade of good look people smiling and wearing pretty dresses - boring. One person who probably shouldn't be allowed to do anything on the red carpet except walk, is Sacha Baron Cohen, as evidenced by the fact he showed up to the 2012 Oscars dressed as Admiral General Aladeen, to promote The Dictator. Obviously, it didn't end there, as he 'accidentally' dropped an urn of Kim Jong Il's ashes on Ryan Seacrest, ashes that were intended to be 'sprinkled all over Halle Berry's chest', as it was Jong Il's dying wish. It' safe to say E!'s most popular host was not a happy bunny.

Seth McFarlane and his song about boobs (2013)

Another inadvertent interaction it may be, but that sea of celebrity faces were less than happy when Family Guy creator, Seth McFarlane, hosted the Oscars in 2013 and thought it would be a good idea to remind Hollywood's female elite that he (and the world) had seen their boobs. Naomi Watson's face was a picture...

John Travolta makes up a new name for Idina Menzel (2014)

And the award goes to... Adele Dazeem... whoever that is. In a moment that will not be forgotten anytime soon, even though it's been over 10 years since it happened in the first place, John Travolta introduced Idina Menzel onto the stage for a performance of 'Let It Go'. After preambling about the 'wickedly talented' Broadway star, he proceeded to list off her accolades and then call her the wrong name, Adele Dazeem. Not only did he hilariously get her name wrong, but he said it in a really weird accent. People were confused, to say the least.

Melanie Griffith and Dakota Johnson's really awkward red carpet moment (2015)

Mother and daughter relationships are complex at the best of times but when you're both actors it can add another complications. Us normies would be devastated if our mom said she didn't want to watch a film we'd been in or come to a school play, but when that film her daughter starred in is Fifty Shades of Grey, it makes some sense why she snubbed her own daughter during a red carpet interview and put her foot down when asked if she was ever going to watch the saucy flick. Her answer was a rather awkward repeated 'no', visibly upsetting Johnson who seemed genuinely offended. Yikes.

Taraji P. Henson allegedly shades Ryan Seacrest during a red carpet interview (2018)

Another one for Seacrest....

Presenting an award at the 2018 Oscars, Henson ran into Seacrest on the red carpet, who at the time had sexual assault allegations made against him by his former personal stylist, Suzie Hardy.

Seacrest was never charged and vehemently denied allegations. As Seacrest wanted to talk about Mary J Blige's nominations, it seems Henson had something else on her mind as she said to the E! host: "You know what, the universe has a way of taking care of the good people, you know what I mean?" She then touched him on his chin and gave him a long, knowing look and laughed a laugh that looked forced.

When she moved on and spoke to another presenter who asked her how her night had been, she said: "I’m having a great time now that I’m in your company." Damn.

Kobe Bryant slam dunks Laura Ingraham (2018)

Metaphorically, of course, but during the late NBA great's acceptance speech for Best Animated Short for Dear Basketball, he used his time to call out Fox News' Laura Ingraham. For what this time I hear you ask? Well, she said NBA icons LeBron James and Kevin Durant should 'shut up and dribble' in defence of President Trump, who the two had called out for his politics. Not letting that slide, Bryant gracefully retorted: "I mean, as basketball players, we're really just supposed to 'shut up and dribble'. I'm glad we do a little more than that. Thank you, Academy, for this amazing honor.

Lily Rose Depp confronted by a massive version of her ex (2025)

One of the worst things about a break up is bumping into your ex afterwards. But, what might be even worse than that is bumping into them, their new girlfriend and then presenting an award in front of a giant screen with their face on while they sit in the audience. Awkward, right? Well, that's what happened to Johnny Depp's mini me at last year's Oscars, with the ex in question being none other than Oscar favourite, Timothée Chalamet, and his partner of three years, Kylie Jenner. She handled it better than I ever would have.

Benny Blanco and Bad Bunny being the same person according The Academy (2025)

I'm not sure if you can call this one an interaction considering Bad Bunny wasn't there at the time, but we're going to talk about it anyway. The Academy's twitter account posted a picture of newly-married Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, but the caption referred to Blanco as Grammy winner and Super Bowl halftime show extraordinaire, Bad Bunny. I get both their names start with B but come on, Blanco isn't even Puerto Rican. They corrected their mistake but people have long memories for things like this...