Actor Sean Penn urged fellow celebrities to boycott Sunday evening's Academy Awards if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not invited to speak, and even threatened to destroy his Oscars in the event that his ultimatum is not met.
Penn, a two-time Academy Award winner, told CNN host Jim Acosta on Saturday that he hopes celebrities would boycott the Academy Awards if Zelenskyy is not offered a speaking opportunity after the actor was asked about rumors that the Ukrainian leader could make a virtual appearance at the ceremony.
"Now, it is my understanding that a decision has been made not to do it," Penn said. "That is not me commenting on whether or not President Zelenskyy had wanted to. If the academy has elected not to do it, if presenters have elected not to pursue the leadership in Ukraine, who are taking bullets and bombs for us, along with the Ukrainian children that they are trying to protect, then I think every single one of those people, and every bit of that decision, will have been the most obscene moment in all of Hollywood history."
"And I hope that's not what's happening," he continued. "If it turns out to be what's happening, I would encourage everyone involved to know that, though it may be their moment, and I understand that to celebrate their films, it is so much more importantly their moment to shine, and to protest and to boycott that Academy Awards."
ICYMI: Actor Sean Penn says the Oscars should be boycotted if the ceremony’s planners have decided against having Zelensky on the program. pic.twitter.com/4LI2YIiKcD
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) March 26, 2022
The actor said he will "smelt" his Oscars if Zelenskyy is not given the chance to deliver a message at the ceremony.
"If it comes back to it, I will smelt [my Oscar awards] in public," he said. "I pray that's not what's happened. I pray there have not been arrogant people, who consider themselves representatives of the greater good in my industry, that have [decided against checking] with leadership in Ukraine. So I'm just going to hope that that's not what’s happened. I hope [every attendee] walks out if it is."
Penn met with the Ukrainian president last month during a trip to the country to film a documentary.
Oscars co-host Amy Schumer recently revealed that she suggested event organizers find "a way to have Zelenskyy satellite in or make a tape" for the Academy Awards ceremony.
"I am not afraid to go there, but it's not me producing the Oscars," Schumer said last week on actress Drew Barrymore's daytime talk show.