Madonna Denies Claims That Sean Penn Abused Her
Madonnna has defended ex-husband Sean Penn and denied claims that he abused her when they were married (1985-89).
The singer was offering evidence on Sean’s behalf in his defamation case against Lee Daniels, the co-creator of ‘Empire’.
Lee recently made allegations about Sean and domestic abuse, comparing him to Terrance Howard during an interview to The Hollywood Reporter in September.
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Defending Terrence, Lee said he ‘ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he’s some f**king demon. That’s a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America’.
Sean issued a $10m defamation suit against Lee, with Variety reporting that the actor claims the co-creator’s remarks have ‘injured his credibility and reputation in his personal life, occupation and philanthropic activities’.
Madonna’s statement was filed on Thursday, when Sean filed an amended complaint in the suit.
The Guardian reports that her statement reads: “I am aware of the allegations that have surfaced over the years accusing Sean of incidents of physical assault and abuse against me.
“Specifically, I am aware of the allegations concerning an alleged incident that occurred in June 1987, whereby (according to tabloid reports) Sean allegedly struck me with ‘a baseball bat’. I know the allegations in those and other reports to be completely outrageous, malicious and false.
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“I am also aware of allegations concerning an incident that occurred in December 1989, which purportedly resulted in Sean’s arrest for domestic assault and battery against me. I know those allegations to be false.
“While we certainly had more than one heated argument during our marriage, Sean has never struck me, ‘tied me up’ or physically assaulted me, and any report to the contrary is completely outrageous, malicious, reckless and false.”
She also described Sean as a ‘caring, compassionate individual, as well as an extremely talented actor, creative artist, and philanthropist, including in connection with his work as CEO of the J/P Haitian Relief Organization’.
In defence under free speech guaranteed by the first amendment, Lee argues the lawsuit “attempts to silence Daniels’ honestly held opinion, a contribution to the marketplace of ideas voiced during the nation’s agonizing debate about racial disparity and domestic violence. The First Amendment abhors attempts to chill speech on hot topics.”
