DiCaprio Misses Palm Springs Awards Over Venezuela Raid

Leonardo DiCaprio missed the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala on January 3 due to airspace restrictions stemming from a U.S. military operation in Venezuela, forcing the actor to accept his honor remotely while vacationing in the Caribbean.

The 51-year-old Oscar winner was scheduled to receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award for his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" at the California event. Instead, festival organizers confirmed his absence was caused by unexpected travel disruptions and restricted airspace in the region. A spokesperson for the festival stated, "Leonardo DiCaprio is unable to join us in person tonight due to unexpected travel disruptions and restricted airspace. While we will miss celebrating with him in person, we are honored to recognize his exceptional work and lasting contributions to cinema."

DiCaprio had been in St. Barts over the New Year, where he was photographed aboard a superyacht with his girlfriend, Vittoria Ceretti, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Bezos's wife, Lauren Sánchez. On New Year's Day, he and Ceretti joined former NFL quarterback Tom Brady on another yacht outing in the area. His planned...