Sean Penn pictured in Ukraine after Oscars no show

After questions swirled about Sean Penn’s Oscar no-show, his absence is starting to make more sense.

The 65-year-old actor, nominated during the March 15 Academy Awards for his performance in “One ​Battle After Another,” was not in the theater to accept his trophy after nabbing the coveted best supporting actor honor.

Penn, instead, ⁠chose to visit Ukraine, where the actor was photographed walking the streets ‌of the country’s capital Kyiv, on Monday, ​March 16, according to photos by AFP and distributed by Getty Images. Penn was there to show support to the war-torn nation, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP.

Penn’s ⁠win during Sunday’s Oscars made him a ‌three-time Academy Award winner.

Kieran ‌Culkin, who presented the category, joked after the announcement, “Sean Penn couldn’t be here, or didn’t want ⁠to, so I accept the award on his behalf.”

While he was not in attendance, his “One Battle” costars ‌Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor were present for ‌a night that proved very successful for the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed movie. It took home the night’s top honor, ⁠best picture, and Anderson won for best director.

Penn ​has long advocated ⁠for ​Ukraine and even gifted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy an Oscar in 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, and the two countries went to war.

The Hollywood Reporter recently reported that ⁠a new examination of photos shows the golden statue Penn gifted Zelenskyy was the one won for “Mystic River,” a 2003 crime drama in ⁠which he played ex-con Jimmy Marcum.

Penn has released a documentary, “Superpower,” that follows his seven trips to Ukraine both before and after Russia’s invasion. He is the recipient of ⁠Ukraine’s Order of Merit in ‌the third degree for his “sincere support and significant ​contribution ‌to the popularization of Ukraine in the world.”