Seems like déjà vu. A few years ago, Kanye West stirred controversy after a viral 2020 video showed someone urinating on a Grammy award, an act many saw as a blatant insult to the Recording Academy. Yet, in an ironic twist, West was nominated again the following year and even walked away with another Grammy. The incident left many baffled at the time, but now, a somewhat similar situation appears to be unfolding.

Sean Penn, who is nominated this year for One Battle After Another as Best Supporting Actor, is a long-time Oscar sweetheart. The veteran actor is no stranger to the Academy Awards, having won two Oscars for Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008), along with earning six nominations throughout his career.

But long before finding himself as the Oscars favorite, Penn had some harsh words for the Academy, which have resurfaced now.

At the 2024 Marrakech Film Festival, where he received a career honor, Sean Penn expressed his support for Ali Abbasi's Donald Trump film The Apprentice and accused the Oscars of restricting various cultural views. The two-time Oscar-winning actor criticized the Academy for its limiting approach.

“The Academy have exercised really extraordinary cowardice when it comes to being part of the bigger world of expression, and in fact, have largely been part of limiting the imagination and very limiting of different cultural expressions,” said Penn at the event. According to him, Oscars were only meant for television entertainment and should never be used as a parameter to judge artistic excellence.

He was of the opinion that when films like The Apprentice speak to a larger audience, then it should be celebrated by everyone. Instead, they are snubbed for being even slightly politically incorrect just to avoid any backlash.

“It’s jaw-dropping how afraid this [so-called] business of mavericks is of a great film like that,” he said to express his frustration. He said a lot of things at the event, but his stance against the Academy and its choices became the highlight of the day. Fast forward to now, and Penn has earned an Oscar nomination for One Battle After Another this year as well after winning BAFTA and nominations in Actor Awards and Golden Globes. Yet the actor has been noticeably absent from most award shows this season.

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As Penn's comments have resurfaced, so has the the most asked question surrounding his absence: Will he attend the glittery night? 

Except for the Golden Globes, where he generated buzz with his casual smoking, Sean Penn has not attended any award show this season. At the BAFTAs earlier this year, Penn won for the first time, but he did not show up at the ceremony. The same thing happened at the Critics Choice and the Actors Awards, despite winning at the latter again. This trend might continue on March 16 as well, owing to the friction the actor shares with The Academy as well, to an extent that he even once threatened to smelt his Oscars back in 2022. 

This year, he skipped the 2026 Oscar Nominees Luncheon held in February, but still, as he has not said anything personally, his chances to attend The Academy do look slim but not impossible. As the Oscars approach, the curiosity increases around Penn’s no-show trend. Well, the odds of him winning are high, and it will be interesting to see if he graces the night or not.

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What do you think of Sean Penn's previous comments? Let us know in the comments.