People have been left seriously ‘grossed out’ after finding out who Sean Penn is now dating.
The 65-year-old actor has found himself in the spotlight following a red carpet appearance and paparazzi shots of himself with his girlfriend.
As he’s one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, people have a lot to say.
Over the years, Penn has been pretty vocal about wanting to remain ‘free’ in a relationship after previously going through three high-profile divorces.
Speaking to The New York Times back in 2024, the Fair Game actor emphasized how he was ‘thrilled’ to be single and vowed to stay liberated even while sharing his life with someone in the future.
“I’m just free. If I’m going to be in a relationship, I’m still going to be free, or I’m not going to be in it,” he told the outlet.
“I’m not going to be hurting. I don’t sense I’ll have my heart broken by romance again.”
So while Penn once seemed content with single life, it appears he’s since had a change of heart.
Sean Penn’s relationships
Penn has been romantically linked to numerous big names throughout his career, including Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson, and Madonna, the latter of whom he went on to marry in 1985.
The pair stayed together for three years before calling it quits in 1989.
Shortly after that, Penn moved on to seeing Robin Wright, and the couple went on to welcome their first child, Dylan, in 1991 and their second, Hopper, in 1993. Then, in 1996, they tied the knot and built a life together until they split in 2010, which was a pretty messy divorce, to say the least.
While the Oscar winner told Esquire UK that he remains ‘very friendly’ with his first wife, Madonna, Penn didn’t go into as much detail regarding his second wife, noting that the divorce process was never easy.
“I would say that I’m on extremely good terms with the children I share with my second ex-wife,” he said. “You kick and bite about the other person.”
Penn also added that the pair did not agree on their views about parenting, which was a huge issue for them.
“We don’t not get along,” he told comedian Marc Maron previously on his WTF podcast. “We have very separate relationships with our kids at this point, and it seems to work better that way because they are making their own decisions.
“As it turned out, she and I did not share the same ethical views on parenting, including the continuing parenting of adult children.”
As for the actor’s third marriage, Penn decided to walk down the aisle with Aussie-American actress Leila George in 2020, though their romance was short-lived too, with the pair going their separate ways after only two years together.
But what was it about relationships that was getting the actor down?
Well, during his appearance on the WTF podcast, Penn stated that relationships feel ‘pretty transactional’ and ‘it’s not easy to run into somebody that makes life better the next day for you. But if I did, I’d grab it.’
Yet it seems as though the star has finally found that with his latest partner, fellow actress and model Valeria Nicov; however, fans have been left ‘grossed out’ after finding out the dramatic age gap between the two celebrities.
Penn’s relationship faces backlash
Penn and Nicov were seen together in September 2024 before making their official red carpet debut two months later at the Marrakech International Film Festival.
More recently, the Moldovan native has accompanied the star at the Cannes Film Festival together in May 2025, but did not make an appearance at this year’s Golden Globes earlier this month.
However, the pair is still going strong as a few days later, they were spotted taking a walk together in Los Angeles.
Nicov, who has been known for her work in Netflix’s hit show Emily in Paris, as well as the French programme, Don’t Worry About the Kids, could be seen linking the arm of her Penn as the two looked happy while on a casual stroll through the city.
When fans found out that the pair had started dating, they were initially happy that the veteran had found love again, though some were left feeling uncomfortable about the 35-year age gap between the two.
“[65] to 30 is a huge gap wtf was he thinking hahaha,” wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter, while another added: “Could be his daughter… that’s simply not right.”
“Does Hollywood’s charm compensate for a large age gap?” a third questioned.
Somebody else simply stated: “Gross.”
However, others have leapt in to defend the coupling, as one said: “Why do people always have to meddle in other people’s lives? Mind your own business. Will always like you Sean; you are one of my favourite actors.”
In agreement, a second commented: “What is it the business of anyone?”
Despite the public’s opinion, it seems as though the pair have been going from strength to strength over the past two years, so maybe Penn’s luck is finally changing!
