Editing Sean Penn (section)

===Legal issues===
In October 1985, Penn pled no contest to charges that he assaulted two journalists when they tried to photograph him and Madonna in Nashville in June 1985.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last=Gillem|first=Tom|date=October 17, 1985|title=Actor Pleads No Contest, Fined On Assault Charges|url=https://apnews.com/article/517713dd27431fb387e215049b2f1a34|access-date=February 2, 2022 |website=AP NEWS}}</ref> He was fined $50 on each of two misdemeanor charges of assault and battery.<ref name=":1" /> In January 1986, Penn was charged for allegedly assaulting Leonel Borralho, [[Macau]] correspondent for the [[Hong Kong Standard]] newspaper, after he photographed Madonna and Penn as they arrived at their hotel room.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 17, 1986|title=Actor Sean Penn accused of assaulting journalist|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/01/17/Actor-Sean-Penn-accused-of-assaulting-journalist/1175506322000/|access-date=February 2, 2022|work=United Press International}}</ref> In June 1986, Penn was charged with misdemeanor battery for assaulting songwriter [[David Wolinski]] at Helena's nightclub in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Michael|date=July 18, 1986|title=Actor Sean Penn was charged with battery Friday for...|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/07/18/Actor-Sean-Penn-was-charged-with-battery-Friday-for/4750522043200/|access-date=February 2, 2022 |work=United Press International}}</ref> Wolinski said Penn accused him of trying to kiss Madonna. Penn pled not guilty to the charge.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-10-29-ca-7957-story.html|title=Penn Pleads Not Guilty to Battery Charge|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 29, 1986|access-date=February 27, 2022}}</ref>

In April 1987, Penn violated probation and was arrested for punching a film extra, Jeffrey Klein, on set of the movie ''[[Colors (film)|Colors]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Arrest Warrant Issued For Sean Penn|url=https://apnews.com/article/9bfc2d81526e36bfbb64a658639dbb70|date=April 25, 1987|access-date=February 2, 2022 |website=AP NEWS}}</ref> Penn was sentenced to 60 days in jail for this assault and reckless driving in June 1987, of which he served 33 days.<ref>{{cite news|last=Timnick|first=Lois|date=June 24, 1987|title=Actor Sean Penn Gets 60 Days in Jail|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-24-me-6270-story.html}}</ref><ref>Ciccone, Christopher (2008). ''Life with My Sister Madonna'', Simon & Schuster, pp. 144–50; {{ISBN|1-4165-8762-4}}.</ref> According to Penn himself, he was incarcerated in the same jail holding [[Richard Ramirez]], a serial killer awaiting trial. Ramirez wrote to Penn, to which Penn wrote back saying he had no kinship for his fellow inmate and hopes Ramirez receives [[Capital punishment in California|capital punishment]] via the [[gas chamber]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Grad |first=Shelby |date=March 10, 2015 |title=Sean Penn's unlikely pen pal: 'Night Stalker' Richard Ramirez |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sean-penn-night-stalker-richard-ramirez-20150310-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=October 25, 2023}}</ref> In May 2010, Penn pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge stemming from an altercation with photographer Frank Mateljan in October 2009.<ref>{{cite web|last=Duke|first=Alan|date=May 12, 2010|title=Sean Penn pleads to paparazzo kick|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/05/12/sean.penn.plea/index.html|access-date=February 2, 2022|publisher=CNN}}</ref> He was sentenced to perform 300 hours of community service and undergo 36 hours of anger management counseling.<ref>{{cite news|date=May 12, 2010|title=Sean Penn sent to anger management after paparazzi clash|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-penn-idUSTRE64B5FS20100512|access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref>

In an interview published September 16, 2015, director and showrunner [[Lee Daniels]] responded to criticism about [[Terrence Howard]]'s continued career in light of his domestic violence issues by referencing Penn's rumored history of domestic violence, saying: "[Terrence] ain't done nothing different than [[Marlon Brando]] or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he's some f—in' demon."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rose|first1=Lacey|title='Empire's' 'Batshit Crazy' Behind-the-Scenes Drama: On the Set of TV's Hottest Show|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/empires-batshit-crazy-behind-scenes-823518|access-date=September 23, 2015|date=September 16, 2015}}</ref> In response, Penn launched a $10 million defamation suit against Daniels, alleging that he had never been arrested for or charged with domestic violence.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gardner|first1=Eriq|title=Sean Penn Files $10 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against 'Empire' Co-Creator Lee Daniels|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=September 22, 2015|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/sean-penn-files-10-million-826148|access-date=September 23, 2015}}</ref> Penn dropped the lawsuit in May 2016 after Daniels retracted his statement and apologized.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gardner|first1=Eriq|title=Sean Penn Wins Apology from Lee Daniels in Defamation Settlement|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 4, 2016|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/sean-penn-wins-apology-lee-890533|access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref>