Sean Penn’s love life is making waves again, this time with 30-year-old Valeria Nicov. Their recent film festival appearance has reignited buzz about his relationships and growing age gap.
But who is the woman who has captured Penn’s heart?
Sean Penn’s new girlfriend is Valeria Nicov, a 30-year-old actress and model from Moldova. According to her IMDb page, she has been working in the entertainment field since 2018, featuring in shows like Don’t Worry About the Kids and Mike.
She also had a small role as a bartender in Emily in Paris.
Valeria Nicov is 1.77 meters tall, which is about 5’10”.
In June, Sean Penn, who is 64, shared with The New York Times that he wanted to date without restrictions and avoid getting hurt. “I’m just free,” he said. “If I’m going to be in a relationship, I still want to be free, or else I won’t be in it, and I don’t want to feel pain.” He also mentioned, “I don’t think I’ll experience heartbreak from romance again.”
Now, Sean has started a new journey with his much younger girlfriend, Valeria Nicov.
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The 64-year-old actor and his girlfriend from Moldova have been dating since September, when they were seen sharing a passionate kiss while walking through the streets of Madrid.
While they were walking together, the actor, who has struggled to quit smoking for many years, was seen with a toothpick in his mouth.
Even though he said he had stopped smoking on his 40th birthday, as reported by The Guardian, it seems that the habit has been hard to break. Penn, looking back on his anniversary, called his attempt a “disaster,” admitting that, despite trying, he still finds it tough to completely quit. Even during sweet moments with his new girlfriend on their date in September, he was spotted smoking again.
In October, the Oscar-winning actor and Valeria Nicov were seen again at Los Angeles International Airport, where they shared another kiss. Known for their stylish lifestyle, the couple later traveled to Paris, where they were photographed hugging on the famous streets, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The couple has a 34-year age difference, with Valeria Nicov being younger than both of Sean Penn’s adult kids. His daughter, Dylan Penn, was born in 1991, and his son, Hopper Penn, was born in 1993.
According to her Facebook, Valeria lives in Paris, the city of love, where she mixes her film career with a strong presence in the fashion industry.
Valeria is an impressive multilingual person, speaking seven languages — French, English, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, and Italian — which adds to her skills.
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Valeria’s dedication to her craft is evident through her education at the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts in Chisinau, as well as her courses at the prestigious Cours Florent in Paris. As a model, she has collaborated with well-known brands, such as Carolina Herrera.
Besides being an actress and model, the Moldovan beauty is a dedicated blogger. She has 19,000 followers on Instagram, where she posts amazing pictures from her photoshoots.
Valeria Nicov has a very active lifestyle. She loves boxing, yoga, and tango. She also has many other skills, like singing jazz, playing the piano, and riding horses. Her passion for art and literature shows in her Instagram posts, where she gives a peek into her creative world.
Even though Sean Penn and Valeria Nicov seem happy together, many people have strong feelings about their age difference. This became clear when the director and actor received online backlash after being seen with his girlfriend, who is 30 years younger.
At 64, Sean Penn and 30-year-old Valeria made their stylish red carpet debut at the Marrakech International Film Festival on November 30th. The Mystic River star looked sharp in a classic suit and tie, while Valeria Nicov wowed everyone in a strapless black dress with a draped front design.
The couple caught everyone’s attention on the red carpet, showing off their elegance and style as they arrived at the film festival. However, not everyone was thrilled about it.
Critics quickly took to social media to criticize the couple’s age difference. “Disgusting,” one person wrote on X. Another said, “PeePaw and his granddaughter.”
One user asked, “If Sean Penn worked at Walmart, would this young girl be with him? I don’t think so.” Meanwhile, others called the romance “unsettling” and “creepy.”
Another user added, “Being with someone who wasn’t even born when you were 33 is just… unsettling.”
Still, many people had mixed feelings about the couple’s appearance. One Facebook user said, “I hope they do really well together.” Others shared similar thoughts, showing support despite the controversy over their age gap.
“I could care less about their ages. They’re both over 18, and that’s what really matters.” Another person commented, “Leave him alone. A 30-year-old is a grown woman. At least he’s not dating teenagers or 23-year-olds.” Meanwhile, someone else wrote, “He’s doing everything he can to keep up with her, just look at him!!!!”
Sean Penn’s relationship with Valeria Nicov is his first since his divorce from actress Leila George. The couple was married for two years before they split in April 2022.
Sean and Leila started dating in 2016 and got married in 2020 during the pandemic, keeping their wedding very private.
Even though their marriage was short, the couple shared a long history, having first met in 2016 and quickly forming a strong bond. Their marriage ended after reports of difficulties in their relationship, and they finalized their divorce in 2022. Leila is an Australian-American actress who is well-known for her roles in The Long Home and Mortal Engines.
Penn started his acting career way back in 1981 with Taps. After that, his career really took off, and he won two Oscars for his performances in Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008).
In the ’80s, Penn was part of a famous marriage with Madonna, but their rocky relationship eventually led to divorce. He was also married to actress Robin Wright from 1996 to 2010.
Sean Penn’s relationship with Valeria Nicov has definitely caught people’s attention and sparked a lot of discussions. Some fans are in favor of the couple, believing that age shouldn’t matter when it comes to love, while others feel uneasy about the big age difference.
No matter what your opinion is, one thing is for sure: this romance is anything but ordinary and keeps being a hot topic for many. What do you think? Is age just a number, or is there more to this situation than what we see?
