Sean Penn Threatens To Destroy His Oscars If Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Isn't Invited
In February,?Sean Penn was on the ground in Ukraine filming a documentary about the Russian invasion for Vice Studios. He left Ukraine on foot and is currently in Poland. He has spoken to?Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on many occasions.?
Now, ahead of Academy Awards 2022, the ace actor-filmmaker has threatened to destroy his Oscars if?President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not invited.?
Sean Penn has said that he will publicly "smelt" his statuettes from the awards body if they elect against asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to speak during the live telecast of Sunday evening's ceremony.?
Talking to CNN, Penn said that the Academy has an obligation to offer President Zelenskyy a platform to speak on Ukraine's struggles as the country continues to combat invasion by Russian military forces.
He said, "There is nothing greater that the Academy Awards could do than to give (Zelenskyy) 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 Zelenskyy had wanted to".?
For the unversed, Penn has won two Oscars in the past for his films Mystic River and Milk.?
"If the (Academy has) 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."
Sean Penn has also urged the attendees to boycott the awards ceremony if the organizing committee elects to forgo reaching out to Zelenskyy regarding a speech during the telecast.
"If it comes back 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, 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."
(With inputs from PTI)
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