Leonardo DiCaprio misses Palm Springs ceremony due to politicial chaos

Leonardo DiCaprio could not make it to the Palm Springs International Film Awards due to political reasons.

The Titanic star was set to be honoured with the Desert Palm Achievement Award for his performance in One Battle After Another at the event in California on January 3rd, 2026 but could not fly out of St. Barths after vacationing there.

A spokesperson for the Palm Springs International Film Festival dished to Variety, “Leonardo DiCaprio is unable to join us in person tonight due to unexpected travel disruptions and restricted airspace.”

The travel restrictions have been imposed due to ongoing developments around Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela.

“While we will miss celebrating with him in person, we are honored to recognize his exceptional work and lasting contributions to cinema, his talent and dedication to the craft continue to inspire...” the statement regarding Leonardo’s absence continued.

The Academy Award winner sent a pre-recorded message which was played at the ceremony in which he emphasised that movies were meant to be experienced in cinemas, with crowds and are supposed to be a shared experience.

What did Jennifer Lawrence say about Leonardo DiCaprio?

Jennifer has said that One Battle After Another, which stars Leonardo, is her favourite movie.

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