Celebrities react to the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Sean Penn gives Oscar trophy to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy: "When you win, bring it back to Malibu"

Stars Insider

09/11/22 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Ukraine conflict

On February 24, 2022, the world woke up to shocking news: Russia had launched an attack on Ukraine. The Russian invasion was an imminent threat but, nonetheless, the attack came as a surprise. Reactions to the conflict started to appear soon after, particularly on social media, and many stars had a word to say about it as well. 

Sean Penn gave one of his Oscar trophies to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his most recent visit to Ukraine as an expression of support for the country. In a video posted to Instagram by Zelenskyy on November 8, the two-time Academy Award winner handed over the statuette and said, "It's just a symbolic silly thing, but if I know this is here with you, then I'll feel better and strong enough for the fights." Penn added, "When you win, bring it back to Malibu because I'll feel much better knowing there's a piece of me here."

In the caption, Zelenskyy noted that this was "the third time during the full-scale war" that Penn was visiting the Ukraine but added, "This time our meeting was special. Sean brought his Oscar statuette as a symbol of faith in the victory of our country. It will be in Ukraine until the end of the war." Zelenskyy also presented Penn with the Order of Merit of the III degree in his visit to Kyiv "for his "sincere support and significant contribution to the popularization of Ukraine in the world!"

Also in the clip, Penn told Zelenskyy, "There are three places in the world that all the pride of my life will be. The place where my daughter was born, the place where my son was born, and this."

Click through and see how other celebrities have reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Campo obrigatório

Don’t miss out...


on the latest TV shows, movies, music, and exclusive content from the entertainment industry!

I accept terms & conditions and privacy policy.
I want to receive Exclusive Offers from partners (advertising)

You can easily unsubscribe at any time
Thank you for subscribing