The film industry has just experienced a big shock when the film Academy of Sciences and Cinema informed that Robert de Niro, Hollywood’s symbol with a series of classic roles, was banned from attending the Oscars 2025 and was eliminated from all nominations. This decision was made just a few days after the awards ended on February 23, but what made the whole world surprised was the reason behind: an unexpected request from Elon Musk, a famous technology billionaire with controversial moves.
According to internal sources, Musk sent a letter directly to the Oscars Organizing Committee, asking them to reconsider De Niro’s status after the actors’ public statements against him over the years. De Niro, who is not afraid to criticize Musk on television programs and social networks, once called him a “dangerous person for society” in an interview in 2024, related to Musk’s role in politics and media. Musk’s letter seemed to emphasize that these words were beyond the limit, and he thought that a person like De Niro did not deserve to be honored at a prestigious event like Oscars.
The reaction from Hollywood is divided into two distinct streams. Some of the big stars, like Martin Scorsese, spoke out to protect De Niro, called this “unprecedented abuse” and question whether Musk was really enough to affect the Academy. Meanwhile, a smaller group supported the decision, saying that De Niro had taken trouble when he continuously attacked Musk. On X, where Musk had hundreds of millions of followers, his fans celebrated, with a Viral tweet: “De Niro thought he was inviolable, but Elon proved the opposite.”
The Academy has not published details of Musk’s letter content, only confirmed that they had “carefully reviewed” before making a decision. De Niro, who once won two Oscars gold statues, has not yet spoken, but his team called this “personal revenge action”. With Musk increasingly expanding influence from technology to public culture, this event is raising debate about the boundary between personal power and freedom of speech in the entertainment industry. Is this an end to the feud between the two, or is it just the beginning of a bigger battle? Hollywood is holding her breath waiting for the next development.