Zelensky Rejected By The Academy Awards – Won’t Be Given Air Time
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was rejected by the Academy awards for the second year in a row.
Agent Mike Simpson made a plea to include Zelensky but it was rejected.
Last year they held a moment of silence for Ukraine.
The Academy Awards has reportedly rejected Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to appear on Sunday’s broadcast, signaling a cooling off of the love affair between Hollywood and Zelensky.
WME agent Mike Simpson made a plea to the Academy to include Zelensky but was rejected, according to a Variety report. Simpson reportedly represents documentarian Aaron Kaufman, who co-directed the pro-Zelensky documentary Superpower with Sean Penn.
The decision comes as public support for sending arms to Ukraine is softening, with a recent poll showing 48 percent of U.S. adults in favor of providing weapons to Ukraine, while 29 percent are opposed and 22 percent saying they’re neither in favor nor opposed.
That’s down from 60 percent of U.S. adults saying they were in favor of sending Ukraine weapons in 2022.
Zelensky’s appearance was nixed last year after Oscars Producer Will Parker was concerned that the only reason Ukraine was being showered with attention was because white people were mostly affected.
It is unclear why Zelensky was denied this year.
Zelensky was also rejected by the Toronto Film Festival in September.
For the past year, Volodymyr Zelensky has been greeted with open arms by awards shows, film festivals and even the New York Stock Exchange. But when it comes to landing airtime on the most coveted telecast of all — the Oscars — the Ukrainian leader is being met with a cold shoulder.
For the second year in a row, the Academy has snubbed Zelensky, who was hoping to follow up his Berlin Film Festival (remote) appearance last month with a virtual spot on Sunday’s Oscar telecast on ABC. Sources say WME power agent Mike Simpson made a plea to the Academy to include the comedic actor-turned-politician but was shut down. The Academy declined comment.
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But not everyone is onboard with giving Zelensky more airtime. Last year, Oscars producer Will Packer nixed a Zelensky appearance. Sources say Packer expressed concerns that Hollywood was only showering Ukraine with attention because those affected by the conflict are white. By contrast, Hollywood has ignored wars around the globe that impact people of color, he argued. Packer did not respond to a request for comment. It is unclear what the rationale is for this year’s Oscars rejection, however, the Academy traditionally prefers to focus on the contributions of the filmmaking community and steer clear of anything political.
Meanwhile, the Academy isn’t the only group to refuse Zelensky. In September, Zelensky’s team reached out to the Toronto Film Festival about the leader appearing via satellite, but they were denied. A TIFF spokesperson said at the time that the festival “does not comment on discussions with dignitaries, government officials or international embassies.” The spokesperson added that the festival “stands in solidarity with Ukranians both here at home and abroad and is proud to showcase the depth and creativity of Ukrainian filmmakers at this year’s festival.”
Why was Zelensky rejected?
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