Ben Stiller & Sean Penn Banned For Life From Russia

Ben Stiller and Sean Penn are renowned actors in their field. That being said, they can count out that box office money from Russia now.

Ben Stiller and Sean Penn are two of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine in the war against Russia. Penn went to Ukraine in order to film a documentary. He met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and later called for U.S. intervention in the conflict.

Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost.

Stiller also met with Zelenskyy, and later visited Ukrainian refugees in Kyiv and Poland. The star went there in the capacity of a UN Refugee Agency goodwill ambassador. He also had strong words of praise for Zelenskyy.

[Zelensky’s] incredible sense of how he has risen to the moment and offered his people leadership and true resolve to get through this awful situation.

Stiller and Penn’s support for Ukraine struck a bad chord with the Russian government. Deadline reports that the Russian foreign ministry placed a ban on the two, citing the “principle of reciprocity.” 

The Russian foreign ministry placed the ban on a list of 25 “high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as cultural figures.” The reason for their banning is that their endorsement of Ukraine has pushed Russia’s reputation in a negative direction. The ministry added a threat for the “American authorities” standing against Russia.

The hostile actions of the American authorities, which continue to follow a Russophobic course, destroying bilateral ties and escalating confrontation between Russia and the United States, will continue to be resolutely rebuffed.

Stiller is famous for his work in Zoolander, Tropic Thunder, and Night At The Museum trilogy. Penn has starred in Milk and Mystic River and has directorial exploits such as Into The Wild & Flag Day. Stiller has also directed the shows Escape at Dannemora and the Apple TV+ series Severance. It seems they won’t be the last celebrities to be banned from Russia, but they are the most recent.

What’s your take on Russia banning people like this? Sound off in the comments!