Oscars Reject Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Bid to Appear on Telecast (EXCLUSIVE)

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. Zelensky’s overtures to the Oscars comes as polls show Americans’ support for providing assistance to Ukraine has weakened. In September, Zelensky’s team reached out to the Toronto Film Festival about the leader appearing via satellite, but they were denied. In an added personal twist, Simpson’s son Tommy collaborated on a song for “Superpower” with Ukrainian actress-pop singer Tina Karol.