Leonardo DiCaprio missed an awards ceremony in California on Saturday, January 3, due to complications arising from a U.S. military operation in Venezuela.

The 51-year-old actor was slated to receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award for his standout role in the Oscar-nominated film One Battle After Another at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala. However, travel issues prevented him from attending.

A spokesperson for the Palm Springs International Film Festival confirmed to Us Weekly that, “Leonardo DiCaprio is unable to join us in person tonight due to unexpected travel disruptions and restricted airspace.” They added, “We will miss celebrating with him in person, but we are honored to highlight his exceptional work and lasting impact on cinema. His talent and dedication continue to inspire, and we are thrilled to present him with the Desert Palm Achievement Award this evening.”

DiCaprio was supposed to fly from St. Barts to California for the Palm Springs event, but his flight was canceled due to airspace restrictions linked to U.S. military activities in Venezuela, as reported by Variety. On January 3, People noted that DiCaprio and his girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti were spotted spending time with NFL icon Tom Brady on a yacht near St. Barts on New Year’s Day.

Earlier this week, DiCaprio made headlines for a different reason while vacationing in Ibiza. As reported by The Daily Mail, video footage captured Spanish authorities stopping and searching the actor as he tried to enter a party hosted by Elite actor Arón Piper and tequila brand Patron on Saturday, August 9. DiCaprio, […]

Us has reached out to DiCaprio for comment.

Others likely faced similar travel issues since the Palm Springs International Airport announced via X on Saturday that “an FAA air traffic control issue” was impacting flights.

“Departing flights are currently under a ground stop,” the airport tweeted. “Aircraft have been able to arrive, though some inbound flights have diverted and delays are expected. This is not specific to PSP and is affecting multiple SoCal airports. Travelers should check directly with their airline for the latest flight information. PSP will share updates as needed.”

Flights were grounded for around four hours before the Palm Springs International Airport confirmed that “ground stop” orders had finally been “lifted” at around 4:20 p.m. PT.

Earlier on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces conducted a military raid that led to the arrest of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. The politician and his wife were initially held on the USS Iwo Jima before being brought ashore in New York City to face a criminal trial.

Shortly after Maduro’s arrest in a pre-dawn raid, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Venezuelan leader would be tried for “narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices” and “conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States.” At a press conference on Saturday, President Trump said the U.S. was “going to run” Venezuela until it can guarantee “a safe, proper and judicious transition.” (Maduro has repeatedly denied narco-terrorism charges levied by the U.S.)

“We don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years,” Trump, 79, told reporters. “So, we are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition, and it has to be judicious.”

The Associated Press reported on Saturday that no airline flights were seen crossing over Venezuela airspace following Maduro’s arrest. Hundreds of other commercial flights in the eastern Caribbean region were canceled. (Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has indicated that normal travel will resume in the region on Sunday, January 4.)

From Titanic to Inception and beyond! Leonardo DiCaprio is one of Hollywood’s finest performers — but he had to wait over two decades before taking home his first Academy Award.  While the actor was nominated for his first Oscar in 2000 for his role in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, he ultimately lost out to The […]

Meanwhile, the Palm Springs International Film Awards announced back in November that DiCaprio would be a guest of honor and receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award for One Battle After Another.

“In One Battle After Another, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a riveting and emotionally charged performance, embodying a man pushed to his breaking point in the face of relentless adversity,” festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said at the time. “Across his career, DiCaprio has continually redefined what is possible in screen acting — bringing emotional depth, artistic integrity, and fearless commitment to every role. It is our honor to present him with the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor, in recognition of his enduring influence and exceptional body of work.”

While DiCaprio missed the gala, Timothée Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan, Adam Sandler and Kate Hudson were all expected to attend Saturday’s ceremony.