Domestic violence against women is a serious issue and comments by Black Director Lee Daniels have put him at odds with actor Sean Penn. Daniels made a statement regarding abuse allegations against actor Terrence Howard. Daniels is quoted in the Hollywood Reporter as saying “[Terrence] ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he’s some f—in’ demon. That’s a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America.”
Now, Penn has filed a $10M lawsuit against Daniels alleging defamation. According to Penn’s lawyers, he has never been arrested for beating women, unlike actor Terrence Howard. However, the fact that Penn has never been arrested does not mean he was not abusive. In 1987, Penn allegedly struck his ex-wife Madonna across the head with a baseball bat; however, she did not press charges against Penn. Then there was another incident in 1988 when he allegedly tied Madonna to a chair and beat her for hours. Madonna was able to escape when Penn untied her, allowing her to use the restroom. She was able to make it to a nearby police station for help. But Madonna once again refused to press charges and the couple was divorced the following year. Despite this, Penn seems outraged that he would be compared to Howard, stating in his lawsuit that Penn has “for years been the subject of scandalous, scurrilous, and baseless attacks. But Penn like any citizen, has a right to defend himself and will no longer tolerate the reckless and malicious behavior of others, who seek to aggrandize themselves or their projects at his expense. Accordingly, and because of Daniels’ defamatory statements, Penn brings this action for monetary relief, and to deter Daniels and others from their defamatory actions.”
The lawsuit further states that Daniels’ comments would seem to make it appear that Penn would “condone Howard’s reported misconduct.”
