Hear
Famous, rebellious and passionate. Madonna and Sean Penn had all eyes on them at a time when, without social media, it was very difficult for celebrities to control the information they wanted to get across to the public. That’s why, During their brief and turbulent marriage – they were married from 1985 to 1989 – there was nothing they could do to stop the torrent of reports of violence and excesses that appeared in the mainstream media..
More than forty years after that remembered relationship, the actor decided to take the bull by the horns and speak bluntly about all the theories that were generated around what was happening inside the marital home. And while he denied some of the versions that became myths, he revealed that it is true that in the middle of a fight, a SWAT team ended up breaking into his house.
Among the strangest rumors that circulated around them at that time, one claimed that the protagonist of Milk savagely beat the queen of pop with a baseball bat. Another of hers, who on one occasion “tied her like a turkey” to immobilize her in the middle of one of her heated “discussions.” Since none of those involved came out to deny them, those and other theories launched by the media reached the status of truth and ended up becoming legends.
Aware that certain suspicions still weigh on him about his treatment of the diva during their marriage, Penn decided it was time to clarify the issues. “I want to make things clear about someone I love,” he said in a recent interview, assuming that, regardless of what happened between them at that time, Madonna continues to be one of the people he dearest to.
In an extensive report published by the New York Times, the actor explained that although his marriage to the “Like a Virgin” singer lasted only four years, it was not difficult for them to reach an agreement when it came to facing the divorce. and prioritize affection. “Turns out it’s much quicker to repair a friendship after divorce if there are no children involved”, he reflected.
To make it clear that he knows what he’s talking about, Penn compared that ordeal with Madonna to his divorce from Robin Wright, the mother of his children, Dylan and Hopper. The actor and the protagonist of House of Cards They began their romance shortly after he ended his marriage to the singer, walked down the aisle in 1996 and ended their relationship in 2010. “It took Robin and I a long time. There was a lot of drama. It is much more important to repair the relationship if there are children involved, but finding a solution to the differences is not easy,” he said.
Regarding those versions that became myth, Penn flatly denied having tied Madonna up. “When I read it, I didn’t even know what it meant.” And, referring to the other rumor, he said: “I didn’t know what the hell they were talking about. I think it’s fair to say that I’m not the biggest, strongest guy in the world, but if I hit Mike Tyson in the head with a baseball bat, he’s definitely going to end up in the hospital.“, he explained, implying that if that had happened, the singer would have had to receive medical attention and there would be official records about it.
Although this is the first time that the actor bluntly refers to these rumors, his ex-wife had already taken the bull by the horns some time ago. After having denied the acts of violence on several occasions, in 2015 he did so in court. The singer was one of the witnesses in the trial that Penn initiated against the creator of the series empire, Lee Daniels, for defamation.
It all started when the series’ star, Terrance Howard, admitted that he had slapped his wife in front of their children. Aware that the scandal could be detrimental to the show, Daniels tried to downplay the actor and singer’s act of violence. “At least he had never done what Marlon Brando or Sean Penn did.” His aim was to spread the idea that Howard was not being judged by the same yardstick that “white people” were judged by in Hollywood. However, his statements ended up taking him to court.
In the middle of the process, Madonna not only denied that Penn had been physically violent with her, but also referred to specific rumors that became myths. “While we certainly had more than one heated argument during our marriage, Sean never hit me, tied me up, or physically assaulted me. And any information that has circulated to the contrary is completely scandalous, malicious, reckless and false.“he said on the stand.
However, in the report that Penn gave this week to the New York Times, he admitted that one of the versions that circulated at that time is true: a SWAT team [una unidad especial de las fuerzas policiales entrenada para llevar a cabo operaciones de alto riesgo] raided her house at the diva’s request. According to her, it all began with an argument because Madonna was concerned about the presence of weapons that the actor had in the marital home; as he refused to get rid of them, the singer ended up filing a complaint.
“That day I decided I wasn’t going out. I was finishing my breakfast and all of a sudden I feel like they’re breaking the windows of the whole house. They broke in and handcuffed me.”Penn recalled.
THE NATION
