Acclaimed actor Leonardo DiCaprio was unable to attend a major film festival awards gala due to widespread air travel disruptions caused by a significant U.S. military action in Venezuela.
On Saturday, January 3, Leonardo DiCaprio was notably absent from the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala in California, where he was slated to receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award for his performance in the Oscar-contending film One Battle After Another. The unexpected no-show was directly linked to a chain of events stemming from a geopolitical operation thousands of miles away.
According to a statement from the festival to Us Weekly, DiCaprio could not be present “due to unexpected travel disruptions and restricted airspace.” The festival spokesperson expressed regret while affirming their honor in recognizing his work. The 51-year-old actor had been in St. Barts and was scheduled to fly to California for the evening event. However, his planned departure was halted when his flight could not take off. This was part of broader air travel restrictions affecting the region, which reportedly were related to U.S. military action in Venezuela.
The disruption was not isolated to DiCaprio’s travel plans. The Palm Springs International Airport announced via social media that an “FAA air traffic control issue” was impacting operations, implementing a ground stop on departing flights and causing delays and diversions for inbound travel. The airport noted the issue was affecting multiple Southern California airports. The restrictions lasted approximately four hours before being lifted in the late afternoon Pacific Time.
The cause of these widespread flight issues was a major military operation announced earlier that day. President Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. forces had conducted a raid leading to the arrest of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. Following the pre-dawn operation, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro would face trial on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy. At a press conference, President Trump stated the U.S. intended to oversee Venezuela to ensure “a safe, proper and judicious transition,” a claim Maduro has consistently denied.
While DiCaprio missed the black-tie event, reports from People indicated he had been in St. Barts with his girlfriend, Vittoria Ceretti, and was seen socializing with NFL legend Tom Brady on a yacht on New Year’s Day just prior to the travel upheaval.
