Did Sean Penn Beat Up Madonna? An Archaeology of Hollywood’s Most Explosive Rumor

[androiduser 2,415]

With the biopic in the making, I am wondering how the Sean Penn topic will be addressed, and if we will finally find out what really happened on the night Sean supposedly bound and abused M for 9 hours.

There is a very well documented article discussing this topic with all the reports, rumors, quotes from interviews (with Madonna outright denying the claims and Sean Penn being less clear about the details). But looking at all of this, even if the tabloids made something up, there must have been some truth to it, as there are official claims that the police did get involved.

https://www.gawker.com/did-sean-penn-beat-up-madonna-an-archaeology-of-hollyw-1748746261

[Vogue Italia 387]

I believe that Sean was verbally and physically abusive. Where there's smoke there's fire. He was violent in public so I don't doubt that he was violent in private especially when he was intoxicated. Madonna initially filed for an annulment in 1987 for a reason. She tried to give it another shot but after the last reported incident, which I believe has some truth to it, she made the right choice to leave him for good. 

They divorced over 30 years ago and are on friendly terms now. Whatever he did she has clearly forgiven him so I don't expect her to vilify him in the film. I can see her still wanting to protect him and she doesn't seem the type to victimize herself as a battered wife. She will probably portray a heated argument between them with Sean throwing an object towards a wall or hitting an object. According to the post-it notes of scenes, the film will show Sean assaulting the paparazzi and Madonna visiting him in jail. It's in the thread The Biopic; Untitled  **Spoilers**.

[MDRA 4,222]

  

2 hours ago, androiduser said:

there must have been some truth to it, as there are official claims that the police did get involved.

1 hour ago, Vogue Italia said:

Where there's smoke there's fire.

  

Quote

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.

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.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/18/madonna-says-sean-penn-never-hit-her-as-she-offers-evidence-for-her-ex-husband

But hey, I'm sure her fans know best!

 

[Drownedboy 1,657]

I think he´s still the love of her live, and I think he admires her a lot as an actor and all of that, I think she does not want to hurt the social friendness they seem to share nowadays. Now, as for Guy Ritchie, that´s another story.

[cake 320]

Madonna is still in love with Sean. She's very protective of him

[Spanky1995 2,815]

When I get chance I will have another read of their divorce papers again  but from memory nothing major is in them 

[drunkby6 515]

1 minute ago, Spanky1995 said:

When I get chance I will have another read of their divorce papers again  but from memory nothing major is in them 

Something about him always breaking the door and chucking her vases about. What a dick!

[A. A. Aardvark 4,833]

"An Archaeology of Hollywood’s Most Explosive Rumor"

[Starchild 3,071]

I should be glad that I'm alive
It could have been much worse
I might have never loved at all
And never known what I am worth
How the gods above
Could be so unfair

[Levon 2,223]

Didn't Madonna describe what happened then?
 

They never laugh, not like before
She takes the keys, he breaks the door
She cannot stay here anymore
He's not in love with her anymore

The bruises they will fade away
You hit so hard with the things you say
I will not stay to watch your hate as it grows
You're not in love with someone else
You don't even love yourself
Still I wish you'd ask me not to go

He takes a drink, she goes inside
He starts to scream, the vases fly
He wishes that, she wouldn't cry
He's not in love with her anymore

He makes demands, she draws the line
He starts the fight, she starts the lie
But what is true, when something dies
He's not in love with her anymore

She's had enough, she says the end
But she'll come back, she knows it then
A chance to start it all again
Till death do us part

[A. A. Aardvark 4,833]

It gives her something to write about eh ?

https://www.glamour.com/story/madonna-mdna-divorce-album

[wonderboy 1,889]

I dont remember which magazine it was but I remember around Rebel Heart era, when Sean sued Lee Daniels, Madonna defended him & brought up the 1989 allegations, she denied everything, said he was verbal, but never physical with her & never tied her up or anything, but who knows

[Pootz333 2,684]

All I know is "Til Death Do Us Part" shoulda been a single.

[deathproof 10,555]

People always say police records exist, but ive never come across them..

[devilpray 2,387]

She won't address this. Her daddy issues will get in the way lol

[Brendanlovesu1 11,881]

I know this is old, but I did more digging and there is zero proof that Sean assaulted Madonna. Zero. No police reports, no verified eye witnesses, no anything. Additionally, there’s an affidavit from Madonna swearing that he never touched her. No other women have corroborated that he is physically abusive. Yet, people continue to state with confidence that Sean is a wife beater.

[Pootz333 2,684]

If it is true, it adds another genius layer to the "Human Nature" video where she's tied to the chair. When the media put out nude images without her consent and speculated about all the details of her alleged abuse, that was cool. But when she was in control of her sexuality and how it was presented and playing with s&m themes, it was a problem. Oh,that 90's Madonna....so genius.

[Starchild 3,071]

There’s a passage in Christopher’s book that describes a fight between Sean and Madonna, where Sean is being very aggressive and Christopher comes to her rescue.

[androiduser 2,415]

1 hour ago, Brendanlovesu1 said:

I know this is old, but I did more digging and there is zero proof that Sean assaulted Madonna. Zero. No police reports, no verified eye witnesses, no anything. Additionally, there’s an affidavit from Madonna swearing that he never touched her. No other women have corroborated that he is physically abusive. Yet, people continue to state with confidence that Sean is a wife beater.

Wasn't there a police officer who described her as a barely recognizable after the abuse happened?

[Jackie 8,028]

The fact that they remained friends after the divorce indicates it's probably overstated. They probably had a fight - he might have raised his hands - she might have thrown a vase - but doubt anyone was injured. 

[Brendanlovesu1 11,881]

27 minutes ago, androiduser said:

Wasn't there a police officer who described her as a barely recognizable after the abuse happened?

"According to a report filed by Madonna with the Malibu sheriff’s office, Penn scaled the wall surrounding the Malibu house [in the late afternoon of December 28, 1989] and found Madonna alone in the master bedroom.  The two began to quarrel. Penn told her he owned her ‘lock, stock and barrel’.  When she told him she was leaving the house, he tried to bind her hands with an electric lamp and cord. Screaming and afraid, Madonna fled from the bedroom. What followed was a nine-hour ordeal which left her deeply shaken.

Penn chased her into the living room, caught her and bound her to a chair with heavy twine. Then he threatened to cut off her hair.  According to the police report, Penn was ‘drinking liquor straight from the bottle’ and the abuse went on for several hours, during which time he smacked and roughed up his victim.  He went out to buy more alcohol, leaving Madonna bound and gagged. Some hours later, he returned and continued his attacks.

Madonna said that he untied her after she agreed to perform a degrading sex act on him. She then fled the house and ran to her car.  Penn ran after her and was banging on the windows of her Thunderbird while she spoke to police on her mobile phone. Fifteen minutes later, she staggered into the sheriff’s office.  Lieut Bill McSweeny said: ‘I hardly recognised her as Madonna. She was weeping, her lip was bleeding and she had obviously been struck.’

Penn was taken away in handcuffs and charged with inflicting ‘corporal injury and traumatic conditions’ on her, as well as committing ‘battery."

Update: 12/20/15 – As part of Sean Penn’s ongoing defamation suit against Lee Daniels, Madonna has categorically denied that Penn ever struck her with a baseball bat, as per a 1987 tabloid report, or that there was ever an incident in December 1989 which resulted in Sean’s arrest for domestic assault and battery, “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.” – https://www.google.com/amp/s/weminoredinfilm.com/2015/03/24/about-that-one-time-sean-penn-tied-madonna-to-a-chair-tormented-her-for-hours/amp/

[madgefan 10,137]

All I can say about this matter is that when you're really in love and committed to one person only you can hardly ever see his/her flaws.

[Starchild 3,071]

I have never liked Sean’s energy, even beyond his time with M.
His only redeeming quality is the film Into The Wild.

[MDRA 4,222]

11 hours ago, Vasili said:

There’s a passage in Christopher’s book that describes a fight between Sean and Madonna, where Sean is being very aggressive and Christopher comes to her rescue.

I'm sure he only had the best of intentions selling his book and only wanted to portray the full truth and not make himself look like a hero victim in any way.

[Starchild 3,071]

2 hours ago, slutpride said:

I'm sure he only had the best of intentions selling his book and only wanted to portray the full truth and not make himself look like a hero victim in any way.

It's actually a great book and open-minded Madonna fans have taken the time to read it.