Sean Penn won the 2026 Oscar for best supporting actor but was not at the ceremony. He was one of seven notable absentees named in a roundup that also included Brad Pitt, Lewis Hamilton, Hailee Steinfeld, Motaz Malhees, Tom Holland and Connor Storrie. The list is a selection, not a complete attendance audit.
The 98th Academy Awards took place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, honoring films released in 2025. Here is what was reported about the seven stars who missed the ceremony—and where no confirmed explanation was available.
Why Sean Penn missed the 2026 Oscars
Penn was absent when he won best supporting actor for One Battle After Another. The Associated Press reported that he was in Ukraine for activist work. A New York Times report cited by the roundup described the trip as his priority. Penn did not confirm his precise itinerary or motive in the cited coverage, and his representative declined Entertainment Weekly’s request for comment.
Presenter Kieran Culkin accepted the award on Penn’s behalf and joked, “He couldn’t be here tonight, or he didn’t want to.”
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Why the other six stars were absent
Brad Pitt: no reason reported
Pitt, a producer on a best-picture nominee, was not seen at the ceremony. The roundup did not report a reason for his absence.
Lewis Hamilton: competing at the Chinese Grand Prix
Hamilton, an F1 producer and seven-time world champion, missed the ceremony while competing in the Chinese Grand Prix, where he finished third, according to the roundup. The race schedule was reported as the reason he could not attend.
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Hailee Steinfeld: no explanation confirmed
Steinfeld did not attend and had not commented on her absence in the roundup’s coverage. Fans speculated that her pregnancy was related, but that was not a confirmed explanation from Steinfeld. During his acceptance speech, Michael B. Jordan acknowledged her at home.
Motaz Malhees: explanation in his public post
Malhees, a lead actor in The Voice of Hind Rajab, said he could not attend. In an Instagram post quoted by the roundup, he wrote: “I am not allowed to enter the United States because of my Palestinian citizenship.” That is Malhees’s account; the cited coverage did not independently establish the legal basis for the reported restriction.
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Tom Holland: no reason confirmed
Holland attended a pre-Oscars benefit but not the ceremony. Zendaya attended as a presenter. The roundup gave no confirmed reason for Holland’s absence.
Connor Storrie: attended the Vanity Fair party
Storrie missed the ceremony but attended the Vanity Fair Oscars party. The roundup did not report a confirmed reason for his absence from the awards.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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