Frowning Upon Selfies: Sean Penn Prefers a No-Selfie Rule—Even If You’re a Holocaust Survivor
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, Sean Penn despises selfies and refuses to participate in any public gatherings exceeding eight people under any circumstances. This profound aversion explains his noticeable absence from the 98th Academy Awards, where he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, marking the third Academy Award of his career.
These revelations came to light during a wide-ranging conversation between Penn and CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins on Friday afternoon at Spring Studios in Lower Manhattan, as part of the 25th annual Tribeca Film Festival. Penn is a staple at Tribeca due to his close, decades-long friendship and professional ties with festival co-founder Robert De Niro. True to his unfiltered and candid nature, the actor discussed an array of topics—from the war in Ukraine (“They will win”) and his newfound passion for carpentry, to why he has noticeably mellowed since his turbulent youth.
After praising Collins for her professional integrity in presidential news coverage, Penn dove into his decision to skip the Oscars.
“It’s not just that it’s an awards show,” Penn said. “If this same group were going to an after-party, it would be the same dynamic. Crowds and being around a lot of people have always triggered social discomfort for me. I am now committed for the rest of my life to never going anywhere or being in any specific group where there are more than eight people.”
He explained that the core issue with large public gatherings is that one is expected to give a brief moment of attention to every individual, which severely triggers his anxiety and sparks a sense of panic. “The two times I previously attended and won, I felt a sense of relief because so many people had worked hard for it, but there is a distinct set of politics behind these events.”
According to Penn, he discussed the matter with his colleagues from the film Battle After Battle prior to the Oscars, and everyone agreed that skipping the ceremony was the best choice for his mental health. Instead, he traveled to Ukraine, where he has worked tirelessly to document the Russian siege and advocate for Western support. Penn watched the Oscar broadcast from Ukraine—where it aired between 2 AM and 5 AM local time—and stated he was deeply grateful to not be there. “For the first time, I actually enjoyed watching the Academy Awards,” he admitted. “It was great.”
The Breaking Point at the Golden Globes
Penn’s definitive resolution to permanently withdraw from large award ceremonies solidified after his attendance at this year’s Golden Globes. “The best feeling I could ever get out of these shows was just a sense of relief and comfort once it was over,” he shared. “Knowing I wouldn’t do it again, I attended a pre-Oscar event this year. I went to the Golden Globes—I had never been there before—and that’s where I told myself, ‘I cannot do this.’ It’s the ninth person! And it’s not because of some cliché, superficial reason like ‘I don’t want to be around fake Hollywood.'”
The turning point occurred when Penn was swarmed by crowd members demanding selfies as he attempted to exit the Golden Globes venue—an experience that cemented his rule against attending public events with more than eight people.
“People should never take selfies with anyone,” Penn declared. “It’s bad for you, it’s bad for everyone. Taking selfies sucks the soul right out of the human spirit! Even if a grandmother who survived the Holocaust approaches me alongside her 6-year-old disabled grandchild in a wheelchair? My answer is a firm, hard ‘no.'”
