Actor Sean Penn said that any possible cover-up by the Academy Awards for the Ukrainian people would be “the most obscene moment in all of Hollywood history.”

Penn, who has been filming a documentary about the plight of refugees in Ukraine and Poland, stated that he will smelt his Oscar statuettes if the Academy does not allow Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to speak to the state on the night of the awards.

“There is nothing greater than the Academy Awards could do than to give Zelenskiy an opportunity to talk to all of us. It is my understanding that a decision has been made not to do it. That is not me commenting on whether or not President Zelenskiy had wanted to,” Penn stated. 

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If the Academy had “opted 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 believe every single one of those people and every single bit of that decision would have been the most obscene moment in all of Hollywood history. Penn said.

Recently, Amy Schumer, one of the hosts of the ceremony, said that she had found “a way to have Zelensky satellite in or make a tape” but hinted that her suggestion was unwelcomed.

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“I am not afraid to go there,” said Schumer. “But it’s not me producing the Oscars.” Other sources reported that Zelenskiy had declined an invitation to contribute via Zoom. If it is confirmed that no approach to Zelenskiy has been made, Penn has called for a boycott of the event.

“If it comes down to it, I will smelt mine in public. 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 who 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. ” he said.

Sean Penn has been in the country and is making a documentary about the war soon when the Russians invaded Ukraine. Later, he travelled to Poland, where people were fleeing the war initially.

Penn has won two Oscars for his work: Mystic River in 2003 and Milk in 2008. This year, he is not nominated for an Academy Award.