Sean Penn, the renowned actor, often portrays himself as a benevolent peacemaker and diplomat. Notably, he spearheaded the Help Haiti Home organization and forged a connection with former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. However, beneath the surface, Penn’s behavior hints at a potential inclination towards lawlessness and violence. It’s intriguing to explore the lesser-known criminal facet of the two-time Oscar winner.
Back in July 1985, Penn encountered legal trouble when he was apprehended for purportedly assaulting two independent journalists using a rock, as they dared to snap a photo of him and his then-fiancée Madonna. He chose to enter a plea of no contest to the allegations, leading to a suspended sentence and a payment of $50 in fines, as reported by the Associated Press.
Sean Penn Allegedly Assaulted Madonna
In 1987, Sean Penn faced allegations of assaulting Madonna as well. According to The Daily Mail, reports emerged that in June of that year, Madonna sought an X-ray at Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles after purportedly being struck on the head by Penn with a baseball bat. Rumors circulated that Penn had restrained and silenced the pop icon, resulting in her appearance being drastically “unrecognizable” due to the alleged assault.
While concrete proof remains scarce, Gawker managed to assemble numerous articles and sources that seem to support the occurrence of the disturbing incident. Despite this, both Penn and Madonna vehemently refuted the accusations later on, although Madonna’s response to inquiries about filing an incident report was evasive. Notably, Penn took legal action against Empire creator Lee Daniels for defamation of character, filing a substantial $10 million lawsuit, after Daniels broached the subject.
“A SWAT team surrounded my house and came in every door. But it happened because on the day that we split up, she developed a concern that if she were to return to the house, she would get a very severe haircut….So she took this concern to the local authorities, who came back up to the house. She felt the responsible thing to do would be to inform them—since they were coming up there ostensibly to keep her from getting a haircut and to let her gather some personal effects—that there were firearms in the house.”
In a 1991 interview with Playboy, Penn conceded that law enforcement had indeed been summoned to the residence. However, he also asserted that no charges were ever filed.
Sean Penn Also Assaulted An Extra
In June 1987, Penn received a 60-day jail term and a two-year probationary period due to separate transgressions. According to the Los Angeles Times, it was reported that Penn physically assaulted and spat on an extra while filming Colors (1988), allegedly because the extra was attempting to capture a photo of him and co-star Robert Duvall.
The extra’s injuries necessitated hospitalization. Additionally, a few days prior, Penn was pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence after he ran a red light. Although Penn reportedly failed field sobriety tests, he managed to negotiate his DUI charge down to reckless driving.
Source: Nicki Swift
