Sean Penn will go to Cuba to talk about his role in "Milk", just not next week

Late word tonight is that actor Sean Penn has agreed to travel to Cuba to discuss his role as gay icon Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sandt's Oscar-winning "Milk", but not necessarily in time for a May 18th screening of the film in Havana which will close the third annual government-sponsored observance of the "International Day Against Homophobia".

Penn himself remains mum on the subject but Mariela Castro Espín, Director of the Cuban National Center for Sexual Education, daughter of Cuban president Raul Castro, lead organizer of the summit, and the person who extended the original invite to Penn, was quoted today by the AFP as saying that Penn was otherwise occupied with a humanitarian effort to assist people affected by the recent catastrophic earthquake in Haiti (we knew that) and was also under contract to return to the United States and join a previously scheduled film shoot running through the May 18th screening (we didn't know that).

Castro Espín vowed to hold a follow-up screening and debate of the film in two months or so, whenever Penn is able to travel to the island to discuss his award-winning role.

As I said, no word from Penn as of yet.

Previously:

• Sean Penn receives official invite to Cuba's annual 'Day Against Homophobia' cultural summit (May 8, 2010)