Just when it seemed as if Penn was only interested in actresses, he decided to shake things up a little bit and get involved with Australian model Elle Macpherson.
They were spotted canoodling at an Upper Eastside restaurant in NYC, in 1996. One onlooker described the pair as only having eyes for each other, and very physically affectionate towards one another.
Do I?
Everyone who hasn’t been living under a rock for the past decade or so knows who Sean Penn was first married to Madonna. The couple originally met back in 1985 and dated for just 7 months before they made it official. They were going strong for a while, while they were the “it” couple in Hollywood.
Everyone wanted to see them make it forever. Unfortunately, some life-altering news would hit the stands that would change everything.
Back In The Day
But what was Sean Penn up to before he took the plunge with Madonna? Well, in his past, he was extremely dedicated to his relationship with the beautiful Elizabeth McGovern. When they were together, he really thought she would be the one walking down the aisle with him. The couple fell in love while working together on Racing with The Moon, and he very quickly got down on one knee.
Of course, she was so excited by the thought of being married to THE Sean Penn that she said yes. However, not long after she had a change of heart. She told him that she was “too young,” and she wasn’t ready to make that kind of commitment at that time. Later she would say that she was “lucky,” for making that decision.
Romantic Rumors
In 2009, Sean was spotted with the gorgeous and intelligent Natalie Portman, at the bar inside of the Sunset Tower Hotel. Apparently the two were trying to enjoy a quiet dinner, but they kept being bothered by all of the agents of the press, who were understandably excited about seeing them together.
However, Portman later told E! Online that the rumors about them being romantic were just that – rumors.
Addressing the Gossip
Portman, who admitted that she typically doesn’t even acknowledge, much less respond to, rumors about her romantic life – had something to say about this whole thing. She flat out told reporters that the entire story about their being something between her and Sean was “fabricated.”
But the press just couldn’t let it go, and they kept trying to spin everything to make it seem as if the two were dating. One anonymous source in Hollywood jokingly said that Portman, at 27, was, “far too old,” for a star of Sean’s age (48.)