For more than a decade, Sean Penn has been a surly, aggressive, ham-faced figure, to put it lightly. But something shifted with One Battle After Another. It’s almost like Penn has softened and even blossomed to a new phase of his career (the late-stage character actor). In his Variety Actors on Actors video, he was full of warmth, praise and compliments towards Julia Roberts and several other actors they mentioned (Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Stuhlbarg). He clearly loved working with Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio, and he’s enjoyed his Oscar campaign thus far. But I would imagine he still hates award shows. He didn’t walk the carpet for Sunday night’s Golden Globes, but he was seated front and center alongside Leo and the OBAA team. Nikki Glaser made fun of his weathered ham-face and Penn laughed at the jokes. But then later, he turned to his favorite coping mechanism: smoking actual cigarettes. He doesn’t vape, and he apparently does not feel like dipping outside for a quick smoke. He actually sat at the Globes table and lit up.
One cigarette after another. Sean Penn was caught smoking at his table during the 2026 Golden Globes — instead of stepping outside the theater at the Beverly Hilton in California to quench his craving. The “One Battle After Another” actor was reportedly lighting up “inside the theater, right at his table,” per Vanity Fair.
A photo of Penn, 65, then began circulating on the internet, where he could be spotted pulling from his cigarette while Leonardo DiCaprio chatted away with Kate Hudson.
In photos from the night, several cigarettes could be seen drowned in his glass of water, proving he indulged throughout the night.
Many netizens then pointed out on social media the behind-the-scenes moment they could tell someone was smoking inside the theater, with one person writing via X, “Wait the waft of smoke I saw appear on screen when kpop demon hunters accepted their award was from SEAN PENN SMOKING FRONT ROW?!”
While a second person questioned, “Did anyone else see the smoke when they were accepting the award for animated feature film ?! Cause i thought someone was vaping but whole time it’s Sean Penn smoking a cig?!”
And a third commented, “Find someone who loves you like Sean Penn loves cigarettes.”
I did notice a waft of smoke around the stage, but I thought I was imagining it. I can’t believe he lit up inside the event in big 2026!! Granted, that’s what used to happen at the Golden Globes thirty and forty years ago – people would smoke and get sh-tfaced and stumble onto the stage to drunkenly accept their Globes. But there are all kinds of laws about smoking inside public venues these days. And it’s insane that Penn thought nothing of lighting up. That being said, I imagine tons of people were vaping in the room. Can someone – Julia, perhaps? – encourage Penn to vape when he’s inside and step out when he needs to light up?
This can’t be legal. pic.twitter.com/hBp0D7O6jt
— Ben Fritz (@benfritz) January 12, 2026
Photos courtesy of Getty, screencaps courtesy of CBS/YouTube.
He is gross.
Came here to say the same thing.
Gross, and disrespectful to everyone at his table and in the room who had to inhale his cancer smoke.
And also apparently significantly distracted from KPop Demon Hunters’ win & their moment to shine while accepting their award?
Unsurprising that a white man centers himself and thinks nothing of how his actions negatively impact the people around him.
So what is the punishment for that,it must be like a fine so for someone inconsiderate and rich it means nothing to them.
Tell me you have zero respect for others without telling me you have zero respect for others. What a jackass.
Yeah that’s what I came here to say. It’s all about ME.
yup, what an asshole. He can suck on his cancer sticks in private all he wants until his wizened self keels over, but miss the rest of us with your fucking second hand smoke Sean UGHHHHH
My husband and I had written news stories about the building of the Getty Center in LA and got invited to the gala dinner for the grand opening. I walked into the bathroom and there was Angelica Houston, sitting on the sink and smoking a cigarette. Brand new museum, not open to the public yet, and she was stinking up the bathroom. Someone asked her to stop and she just shrugged and blew a huge stream of smoke into the room. Honestly it was gross.
ICKKKKKKKKKKKK The entitlement to shit up the world for everyone else is appalling
As a museum professional, this makes me rage. I know that she wasn’t blowing smoke directly onto one of the artworks but just keep the damn smoke out of the building.
I used to work at a history museum owned by a bunch of men who thought they were robber barons of the Victorian era. They were having a board meeting one day and I walked into the staff kitchen to find one of them smoking. The door that led up to our collections storage area was off of that kitchen.
Rage, I tell you.
Vaping inside isn’t any better. It’s the same chemicals just aerosolized into the air.
Thank you, this is not said enough
Why do people think vaping is healthier than smoking cigarettes? It’s not, fwiw.
That’s what I was wondering
I think it’s in her Call Her Daddy interview, but Charlize mentions the narc she dated, and I think it’s Sean. But then Madonna has praise for him?
I think he’s a phenomenal actor, but the smoking inside is so rude and actually unhinged. Maybe he’s still method acting for his OBAA character lol
Entitled much? He looks like he’s already dead.
Ew, ew, ew!!! I don’t know the statistics but you hear all these anecdotes about people getting awful diseases like lung cancer who aren’t even smokers. So who or what’s the culprit? Second-hand smoke!!! This is just incredibly inconsiderate.
Him and RFJ, Jr. have the same complexion and it’s giving chewed-up beef jerky that’s been left out in the sun for a week.
I have to say something about his hair. Is the crazy, godawful hair supposed to distract from his face? He was good in One Battle After Another but it was irritating to see his intentionally messy hair for the GG. It seemed disrespectful along with the smoking.
Was there any encounter with Robin Wright? Did he manage some kind of smile/acknowledegement where her name was called ?