Overview
- Broadcast images and widely shared photos showed the 65-year-old holding a lit cigarette at his Beverly Hilton table beside Leonardo DiCaprio during Sunday’s ceremony.
- Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Fritz posted a photo on X with the caption, “This can’t be legal,” as a separate image showed a cigarette resting in a glass in front of Penn.
- Vanity Fair relayed an attendee’s account that he lit up at his table, and nominee Hannah Einbinder commented on Instagram that she saw it herself.
- California’s 2024 Clean Indoor Air initiative bars smoking inside hotels, with limited exceptions for staged productions; no enforcement action or official responses were reported as outlets sought comment from Penn, the venue, and organizers.
- Penn did not win his supporting-actor category, while One Battle After Another collected multiple awards, including Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, and Teyana Taylor won supporting actress.