Summary: Sean Penn, who allegedly beat then-wife Madonna in the 1980s, files a defamation lawsuit against Lee Daniels because Lee referred to him as a domestic abuser.
Another celeb is filing a defamation lawsuit. This time it’s Sean Penn.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Sean Penn has filed a $10 million defamation suit against Empire creator Lee Daniels.” The suit was filed on Tuesday. In it Sean complains that Lee “falsely” accused him of being a domestic abuser by comparing him to Empire star, Terrence Howard.
Terrence has been in hot water lately for his history of alleged domestic abuse.
In the September 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, Lee compared Terrence’s history of abuse with Sean’s.
“[Terence] ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he’s some f—in’ demon,” Lee said.
In Sean’s lawsuit, it states, “Daniels falsely equates Penn with Howard, even though, while he has certainly had several brushes with the law, Penn (unlike Howard) has never been arrested, much less convicted, for domestic violence, as his ex-wives (including Madonna) would confirm and attest.”
Sean may not have convicted, but the allegations of his abuse of Madonna are widely known and heinous. In 1988, he allegedly tied her up and beat her with a baseball bat for hours. According to Buzzfeed, he pled to a misdemeanor and avoided jail time. Other sources such as Cracked say Madonna dropped the charges to avoid a media circus and because she still loved him.
In addition to the Madonna allegation, he has also been arrested numerous times for assault.
So yes, Sean may not have a domestic violence conviction on his rap sheet, but his self-righteousness is baffling.
I mean, it’s not like Lee Daniels said Sean Penn’s smug face makes him look like he’s always smelling broccoli. That would just be inappropriate.
When thinking about the filing of Sean’s lawsuit, it’s hard not to compare it to Lindsay Lohan’s recent defamation suit against Fox News Corporation. She sued for comments made on air about her and her mother’s cocaine use, but the suit was thrown out because, “Truth is a defense.”
Let’s see what happens with Sean.
