Sean Penn has long been known for his bad temper. He’s certainly not a happy-go-lucky sort, and comes across as rather surly much of the time. Given all that, it’s not surprising to hear that he attacked a paparazzo on Friday. The photographer, Jordan Dawes, was at the Brentwood Country Mart taking photos of celebs from inside his car. As Sean Penn pulled into the parking lot, Dawes started photographing him. However things got ugly when Dawes got out of his car and Sean saw him – and went ballistic, chasing, kicking, and hitting the guy.
The paparazzo in the alleged Sean Penn scuffle is not taking his supposed altercation with the actor lying down. Photographer and self-proclaimed documentarian Jordan Dawes spoke to E! News exclusively about his alleged beat-down Friday afternoon, for which he filed a police report against the Oscar winner.
According to Dawes, he and four other photographers and videographers were waiting at the Brentwood Country Mart for the Milk star that afternoon. When Penn got out of his car, the photog started snapping pictures of the actor from his vehicle, which he claims was parked about 50 feet away from Penn.
When Dawes got out of his car and started taking photos of Penn, that’s when Penn approached him, the photog said. “He beelined it for me and started kicking me in the legs,” Dawes said. “As I was backing away, I was still shooting. Then he got me to the other side of the street and punched me in the arm and in my camera.” According to the shutterbug, the 49-year-old star threatened to “put him in a box” and told him he would remember his face.
“My camera was damaged,” Dawes said. “I’m all bruised up…I empathize with the photographers now, I really do. It’s horrifying.” The paparazzo said he turned in photos taken during the alleged attack to authorities, but hasn’t decided whether to take civil action against Penn.
E! News has confirmed that a police report was filed in the incident. “We can confirm that a battery report involving a member of the paparazzi was taken on Friday the 2nd at about 1:15 p.m. in the 300 block of Mesa Drive, but we are not confirming the names in the complaint,” Officer Karen Rayner of LAPD Media Relations said.
[From E! News]
No one from Sean Penn’s camp has responded as of yet. I find it really hard to figure out who to sympathize with here. Yeah, celebrities know that when they become famous, photographers are going to hound them. But when you see videos of the way the paparazzi does it – how many there are, how loud they are, how close they are – it’s hard not to sympathize with anyone living like that. I would never want to be famous for that reason alone. The excessive money would probably help soften the blow though. Obviously Sean Penn wasn’t being surrounded by a throng of paps. But I can see how, over the years, the sight of any photographer could get to be too much. We all have our breaking point, and Sean Penn’s is obviously a shorter distance than most people’s.
That said, he’s still responsible for his actions. I can imagine why he might have done what he did, but I’m not saying it’s okay. He assaulted a man who wasn’t harming him in any way, just annoying him. Oh, and he looked like an absolute buffoon doing it, according to these TMZ photos. Being that Jordan Dawes is a paparazzo, I’m assuming it’s safe to say he’ll be filing a massive civil suit shortly. I’m betting Penn will settle quietly out of court – I’m guessing $15,000. That just feels like the right number for being kicked by Sean Penn, and just enough to get the guy to drop his case.
My question is, when will Dawes’ pictures come out? Those have got to be some interesting shots.
Here’s Sean running from the paps in August.
Photogs look close to Penn. Is there an established space limit?
If not, possibly one is needed.
The pictures here aren’t the ones from the attack. I saw those and it looks like Penn is carrying groceries or something, while kicking the guy. I can’t stand Penn, but I think in this case, the photog was too close and probably being obnoxious. I can see Sean Penn being a prick, but I can’t see him chasing and attacking someone in broad daylight with groceries in his arms.
And I agree with Diane. There definitely should be a space limit for the paparazzi.
here’s a tip: when you get 6 inches from someone, shove a huge camera in their face and keep taking photos, don’t be surprised if you get punched.
Not a fan of Sean Penn in any respect, but I do feel that he was justified in this instance. There should be rules regarding the paps.
the paps are lowlife people who should get real jobs and stop preying off the lives of others.
stupid sean penn is sooo rude — even if he’s right, he’ll probably get sued. he’s plain rude.
Paps complaining about getting beaten up by celebs are like beekeepers whining about getting stung. Um, your “job” is to harass and antagonize other people (leave out that they are celebs, they are human beings). If you’re going to photograph people trying to mind their own business, you’re going to get punched. Your fault.
Maybe I read a different post? Dawes was shooting from his car at first, so he definitely WASN’T too close. The shots where Sean is kicking him came from the part after “he beelined it for [Dawes] and started kicking [him] in the legs” apparently. There were (allegedly) 4 other photogs. Not 50.
Sean Penn is notoriously prone to outbursts and violence. True, the paps go too far sometimes, but there is no reason to believe that was the case here, so far. I’ll reserve judgement until this story has more corroboration.
Oh, and one more thing: People who really despise the paparazzi, who think they are detestable lowlifes, should rethink checking out pics of celebs regularly. Your page views go to pay those paps.
It is very uncomfortable to have your personal space invaded. If the dumbass paps do this, they deserve to get their ass kicked. I hope Sean gets off.
@princess pea: TMZ has a picure of the actual attack. The photographer by his own admission got out of his car. Did he stand by the car and keep a respectful distance? Not likely. He is clearly in the middle of the street in these pics. Is he running away from Penn? Nope. He’s facing him and continuing to shoot. Penn may have made a bee line for him, but I doubt he had to go very far.
I don’t mind paps taking pictures of celebrities. Hell, half the time, it’s the celebrities that call them. What people here are having a problem with are the ones that cross the line into harassment, then complain about the celebrity’s reaction.
The analogy of the beekeeper getting stung is perfect!
If some asswipe stuck a big flashing camera in my face every time I walked outside, I’d be pushing some face too.
I think a LOT of people would. No sympathy for the paps! NONE!
Let’s see… the pap will get money out of court for Penn attacking him, money for the pictures that he sells of the attack from his point of view, and may even be getting a cut of the pictures taken of Penn attacking him as well. Guess it was a good day for the pap. Penn shouldn’t have fallen for it. (and I detest him.)
How did he kick him in the legs if he was sitting in his car? I love Sean
It’s probably not just the photo being taken – I’d be thinking “oh man, what story are they going to make up about me to go with this picture??”
Poor paparazzi, where’s my tiny violin?