The 98th edition of the Oscars has crowned One Battle After Another, the new film by Paul Thomas Anderson, as the big winner of the night. This film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and released in September 2025, has won the award for Best Picture, as well as five statuettes in other categories, including Best Director, a prize that Anderson finally receives after 11 previous nominations.
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Sean Penn, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance, was not present at the ceremony, which generated controversy. Penn, who has previously won this award for Mystic River and Milk, had planned to travel to Ukraine instead of attending the Oscars, reflecting his support for the country during its current conflict with Russia. This trip has raised speculations about his absence from the gala.
The award that left the stage empty was accepted by Kieran Culkin, the winner of the previous edition, who referred to Penn’s situation simply: “Sean Penn could not be here tonight, or did not want to, so I will accept the award on his behalf”. The actor’s decision not to attend the ceremony has led to questions about his priorities, especially after not having collected other awards, including the BAFTA and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
According to reports from the New York Times, Penn was out of the country during the gala and his plan, until days before the event, was to visit Ukraine. In the past, the actor has shown his solidarity with Ukraine, even going so far as to gift his Oscar to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2022, following the Russian invasion. Rumors suggest that his trip to Europe could be related to his efforts to support the besieged nation.