Two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn has filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against Lee Daniels, co-creator of Fox’s hit Empire, for claiming he abused women by comparing him to Terrence Howard, who had recently revealed he hit his first wife.
In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Daniels spoke about Howard. “That poor boy. [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.”
Penn filed the complaint Tuesday in the New York State Supreme Court. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the first paragraph reads:
“As a result of Penn’s status as a public figure, he 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.”
It also adds:
“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.”
Penn’s legal complaint also states that Daniels’ comments were “egregious” on many levels and “also seems to condone Howard’s reported misconduct.”
Daniels comments about Penn were most likely referring to his marriage to Madonna from 1985 to 1989. It was rumored that he allegedly abused her. The actor has never been arrested for domestic violence, but has been charged with assault in the past.
