This time last year, Charlize Theron and Sean Penn were living together and engaged. They were really, really loved up, and many thought that Charlize had made Sean better somehow, that he was less angry and ham-faced. Then they went to Cannes so that Charlize could promote Mad Max: Fury Road. And something happened that May and Charlize has never looked back. We still don’t know exactly what went down, but suddenly their engagement was over, they were no longer living together and Charlize apparently ghosted him. Hard. But she still had to go back and do some reshoots on The Last Face, and now The Last Face is coming to Cannes this year. And no one is looking forward to that red carpet.
Scowling Sean Penn had reason to smile last week when his upcoming movie, African drama “The Last Face,” was reported to be making its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. But Hollywood insiders have been wondering whether the star of the film — Penn’s former flame Charlize Theron — would show up to the debut, and how awkward a reunion could be if she does.
“They hate each other,” a showbiz insider bluntly summed up of Penn and Theron’s relationship since their abrupt split last June, just after the last Cannes. Penn’s film is rumored to be making a debut in Cannes, along with Woody Allen’s latest, “Café Society,” starring Kristen Stewart, as well as the Michael Shannon drama “Loving.” At the French Riviera event last May, Penn was hand-in-hand with Theron on the red carpet for the premiere of her action epic “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and they attended the Vienna Life Ball soon after. But in June, they suddenly broke up after a year and a half of dating and speculation they’d even been engaged.
But sources point out that Theron did do reshoots and recorded additional dialog for Penn’s film after the pair split. “These are professionals, whether in a romantic relationship or not,” said another source. Reports last summer said that during reshoots, Penn and Theron looked “tense.” She stars as the director of an aid agency in Africa, opposite Javier Bardem. Penn and Theron’s reps didn’t comment.
I could understand if it was “Charlize hates him,” but “They hate each other”?? Why would he hate her? Because she was done with the ham-face and she refused to get back with him? Because he ended up looking like a giant a—hole? Okay, maybe I do understand why he would hate her. Anyway… I do wonder if Charlize will even show up. Maybe she’ll conveniently have some sort of scheduling conflict and avoid Cannes altogether.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
Is he funny or something?
Funny ha-ha or funny peculiar? Ick. I can’t stand him.
He has to be amazingly charismatic. He has never *not* been with a woman who is about a thousand times more gorgeous than him.
Whatever he and David Spade have going for them, they should bottle it.
At this point it’s hard to believe they were ever together.
My guess at what went down between them? He got physical or extremely verbally abusive with her, her son or both. She made a run for the door so fast that to me it screems far beyond “we just drifted appart”. Good for her although what made her think he’d be any different than his perceived personality? Did she think hothead= passionate and misunderstood?
I can also see why he hates her. She continues to reinforce the public’s perception about him that he is abusive and unable to control his outbursts. I hope she can testify in his lawsuit with Lee Daniels but I doubt she’ll do it. Charlize is fearless but she too has a career to protect and Sean may have more powerful friends. Also, she may just want to put this behind and not talk about it which is her right.
My theory is the same. I would guess she imagined he’d never be that way with her, until he was, and she was gone. I’m glad she did.
I would bet he “hates” her for the reasons you said, but also because she didn’t put up with his crap for a second and dared to leave him. He’s an angry narcissist, any time someone doesn’t do exactly what he wants, he probably blows up.
“She continues to reinforce the public’s perception about him that he is abusive and unable to control his outbursts.”
eh, considering she’s said nothing about why they split, I don’t agree with this. silence does not equal reinforcement. everyone is guessing, as you did, about why they split. it could be something as simple as her catching him with another woman, or finding “amorous” texts, etc.
If it was another woman I don’t think she would have ghosted him that suddenly and brutally. No, this is the kind of hard ghosting only reserved for abusive situations.
I had a bf punch me square in the nose after his NFL team lost the playoffs a couple years ago. I was reading a book next to him on the couch, he was cheering and ranting at the TV, they fumbled, and WHAM suddenly I was seeing stars and bleeding.
He tried apologizing but there is no universe in which I will spend one more second with a man who gets so upset at a game on TV that he will unleash his anger and deck me. He was crying, but I calmly picked up my book, put on my coat, and walked out of there without a word. Haven’t seen him since and I feel no need to have a discussion with him.
Jaysus, INeedANap, I am so sorry someone did that to you. I can’t imagine going through that and I applaud you for being strong enough to get yourself out of there. so many women don’t and wind up dead.
but, in regards to this post, none of us have any idea how Theron would react in diff situations…I agree that it must have been something extreme, but who knows what. maybe she’s the type to ghost for cheating?…
in any case, I just disagree that her silence is perpetuating the idea that he’s abusive.
Stop it with all your logic and reason!
Good for you nap! Sorry you had that experience! It’s crazy a dude could be so emo over a dumb game that he would punch his girlfriend in the face when she is just sitting there. Kudos for leaving and never going back☆
That was such a wise move. Some might have accepted the apology and made excuses for him. To borrow a quote — When someone shows you who they are, believe them!
@doofus – The real reason could be relatively non-dramatic. Clash of egos, possibly something to do with the adoption of her second child, who knows.
Depending on one’s emotional maturity level, ‘hard ghosting’ *could* happen outside of an abusive situation.
2 Theories: 1.) He did get physical with either her or her son, and she comes from a family where her mom was abused, so she wisely ended it right away.
2.) He got caught exchanging sweet nothings with Madonna (or more) because remember when she was publicly being so vocal about how she loved him and there was no truth to the rumors that he abused her? Rumors that she waited an awful long time to refute, by the way.
I just don’t understand why women like Charlize or Scarjo fall for this guy. He just looks gross and disgusting. Him and Charlize look awkward and tense even when they were together.
He’s the most leathery looking person in HW. She and Stuart Townsend were perfect. What happened to them?!!
So they were friends for 20 something years, then lovers, then a couple, then they hate each other?
I know! Rally makes one wonder what went down. They’d known each other for a long time. Maybe more friendly acquaintances than close friends?
Yeah, that’s the part that’s so scandalous – how they were friends for 20 years and now they hate each other. I wish someone in her camp would spill the beans!
I think Charlize is just as bad. She knew that Penn was a serial cheater and a abusive man and still got with him.
Lots of smoke, yet they were supposedly so into each other (at least at first).
At least ScarJo did not have a young child in the equation, just in case that smoke did turn out to be fire.
He is an arrogant and bitc*y prick and she is an arrogant and bitc*y prick as well.
Did people really think, two people who are that similar, will work out?
Don’t like Charlize and has no sympathy for her but good for her children that they escaped Sean.
How is Charlize arrogant and bitchy prick?
Women who don’t suffer fools gladly get labeled those things automatically. She hasn’t done anything douchey that can be proven like Sean Penn has over the years. But because she looks like a ice queen then people think she must be one. Emily Blunt said she’s just a woman who doesn’t suffer fools and knows who she is so she admires that.
Women who don’t pretend to be earth mothers and Pollyannas get labelled arrogant and bitchy.
Maya, you’re right. She is an arrogant, bitchy prick. And she seems like a cold, miserable a-hole too.
Show me evidence of her being a prick. Or is that just you projecting that on to her because of how she looks?
One example might be how she was discovered (allegedly throwing a tantrum in a bank). Plus some alleged PR scrubbing related to her family tragedy background.
I she was homeless and starving and desperate to get her check cashed. You might be desperate in that situation too. There was nothing bitchy about hiding her past. She would say her dad died in a car crash because she didn’t want to get into the tragedy of her mom shooting him right in front of her. Have some sympathy. Again, people just assume negative things about Charlize when she hasn’t done anything as bad as Sean Penn to indicate she’s so horrible. You’re projecting things on to her because she looks like a beautiful ice queen and tough instead of phony sweethearts like Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Lawrence.
My opinions on both matters have absolutely nothing to do with her looks or this ice queen persona you repeatedly mention. I actually think she’s gotten away with more because of her looks.
I could add the more recent alleged cycling class snub to the list. What tells me more than anything is that she chose to date and cohabit with a guy having such a sketchy, volatile background, when she had a young child in the equation. How she could do that when she allegedly was in the same house as her father and uncle when they were shot, is baffling.
The Soul Cycle article which was discredited by Tia Mowry herself, but you don’t want to remember that nor the many great things said about her by people who worked with her and actually know her. You would prefer to believe the worst including ridiculous tabloids.
Tara, my opinion is not changing with your many assumptions of what shapes my opinion. Nor do I expect to change your brushing over her chewing out a teller (no personal problems can gloss over berating someone doing their job, IMO).
I have read her father’s family’s side of the murder and aftermath (including her injured uncle, who was both a victim and witness).
Truth is often somewhere in the middle. And, I don’t respect anyone who outright lies, which she did by claiming very specifically he died in a car crash. All she had to do was say he died when she was a teenager.
Regarding the Mowry claims, I don’t recall the eyewitness account(s) being retracted. They said she tried to get Mowry banned.
I think people like these two THINK their similar bitchiness will work together, until said bitchiness is turned on the other.
I’ve always gotten the feeling Charlize can be very sweet when you can do things for her, but turn to stone for those who can’t. There are tons of rumours about her being a HUGE c*nt, but she’s one hell of an actress.
Two sports celebrities married after being friends for decades. One of their mutual friends said that it could be hard for two huge egos to co-exist. Marriage was over in a year.
That couple and the friend’s candid quote came to mind when these two were supposedly becoming serious.
I think Charlize has beotchy moments like everyone else and she probably gets a lot of annoying hangers on. She has arrogant moments too (like when she went on about being an Oscar winner on David Letterman). But on the whole I believe her I’m-a-humble-chick-from-SA thing. She doesn’t have a big entourage and I don’t get the sense she’s a diva or walking around in designer wear for the paps unlike some famous-by-association people.
I wish someone would photoshop a picture of Sean/Charlize saying, “We broke up and now we have to work together another six months.” Then next to it would be a picture of Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks saying, “That’s cute.”
You need to meme that, Kaye.
Another time I wish we could upvote comments.
+1!
I’ve wished for that since ever.
If it’s good (Penn is a pretty good director) I imagine she’ll show up as it could mean she enters the awards race. If it’s mediocre or crappy I doubt she’ll show (unless one of her fashion/beauty contracts requires her to be there).
If a guy tried to lay a hand on me or tried to verbally assault me, then I’d be gone faster than the speed of light. And I would ghost him, just like Charlize did. No communication whatsoever.
I feel awful that some women have to put up with that BS. But seriously ladies, if he (or she) starts to constantly belittle you, then find the door FAST, it will NOT get any better than that.
I hope Charlize does not show.
I think Charlize will not show. She will say scheduling conflict because she is filming a lot of movies. Although if they were still together they would have made room in her schedule for Cannes. I like that Charlize got out of the relationship the way that she did. She doesn’t take any crap. I’m curious to know how Sean will handle questions about her. Will he be a negative jerk with his answers?
I suspect Penn’s involvement with El Chapo probably made Theron’s decision to ghost a lot easier…
They broke up before the El Chapo interview. Unless she’s clairvoyant El Chapo wouldn’t have been an issue.
Well, the interview took place in September 2015 and they broke up in May, so it’s inconceivable she heard it was in the works, given magazine lead times, logistics, and so on 🙂
Rewrite: *not* inconceivable
I do NOT get his appeal – she is stunning and a great actress. He’s a good actor but for me his talent is lessoned by his nasty attitude.
I like her but she has terrible taste in men – she dated Stuart Townsend, a notorious womaniser for years (he’s also a douche who got sacked from Lord of the Rings for a bad attitude – thou the said in the end he was too young for Aragorn but the rumours say otherwise. He and his ego clashed bit time with Jackson.). She stood up to Tom Hardy who we all know was a massive dick on the set of Mad Max as well as any other sets he’s been on over the past few years. Imagine the set if she was working with David O Russell.
I thought the “too young” thing was covering up for he couldn’t bring the goods to the role and not necessarily he was a douche?
If he had gotten physical with her or her child why would she not call the police considering what she saw her mother go through. As a woman I would never be in the same space with a man that touched me or my child. So I don’t think it was a physically abusive situation. I think it is more Sean didn’t want what she wanted. Maybe he led her to believe that he did then some ugly truths came to light. She obviously was already in the process of adopting another child. Perhaps he realized he didn’t want a new family and all it took.
We don’t know. Charlize was very open about her relationship. She was vocal about how much she loved him. Going in great detail. She made it clear that she and he had been friends for years before getting involved. So it is not like she didn’t know Sean. She did and began a relationship with him; and made him important to her son. When you have children and are getting involved with someone you have to be very careful.
In a new interview Charlize implies the break up was over the adoption of another child. She had to file alone, not with him. So I don’t think the break up was as bad as the press made it out to be. It was obviously sad for them, but people assume abuse or ghosting happened.
I was confused because she said Sean was all supportive and stuff but it still didn’t work out. I think what she meant is that Sean wanted to adopt the child with her but she was afraid that it was too soon for an 18-month relationship.
Anyway really wow at all the stuff people came up with about why they broke up