Independent Spirit Awards hosts Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman took a brief moment during the awards ceremony to show support to Ukraine and tell Russian president Vladimir Putin to “fuck off.” The 2022 Spirit Awards took place in Santa Monica, Calif. as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continued overseas. Mullally and Offerman wished those in Ukraine “best wishes.”
“I think we speak for everyone here when we say that we are hoping for a quick, peaceful resolution,” Mullally said. “Specifically, fuck off and go home Putin!”
More from Variety
“We hope Putin fucks off and goes home and to that end let’s all join together with a Spirit Awards salute to Putin,” Offerman added while he and Mullally stuck up their middle fingers to the camera.
Mullally added on a more serious note, “Great organizations are raising money [for Ukraine]. Please give what you can to give to the victims of this senseless act of aggression.”
Shortly before the Spirit Awards kicked off, Netflix announced it was suspending its service in Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. The streaming giant had previously announced that it was pausing all future projects and acquisitions from Russia, joining a growing list of companies that have cut ties with the country. Major film studios such as Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony have all announced they will not distribute films in Russia amid the invasion.
TikTok also announced on the day the Spirit Awards that it was blocking Russian users from posting video to the platform because of the country’s new law that threatens to severely punish the publication of “false information.” On March 4, Russia passed a law making it illegal to publish “false information” about Russia’s military. Violators face potential fines, forced labor and up to 15 years in prison.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
