The Real Reason Sean Penn and Leila George Got Divorced

By Jaslin Last updated Jan 17, 2023

Sean Penn, 61, and Leila George, 30, divorced after more than a year of marriage, and neither seek spousal support from the other. Because of their large age difference, their relationship created criticism at first. George is also the daughter of Penn’s co-star, 62-year-old actor Vincent D’Onofrio. Though the couple hasn’t issued an official statement, the Oscar winner recently disclosed what caused their breakup.

Leila George: Who Is She?

George is an Australian-born actress who has appeared in films such as Mortal Engines, The Long Home, and Animal Kingdom. Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?, a Lifetime movie starring Tori Spelling and James Franco, was her feature debut.

Before landing her big break in 2018, George worked as a camera operator behind the scenes. She attended Sydney Film School before her father suggested she try her hand at acting. Greta Scacchi, her mother, is also in show business at the age of 61.

“I knew there was a good chance I’d never achieve what they had,” she explained, adding that her father urged her to pursue it. “When I finished the course [at film school], many of my classmates were pursuing their film studies at university, and I was just not interested. So I called my dad and said, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ ‘What are you most scared of?’ he said. ‘Acting, perhaps?’ I said. ‘Well, that’s what you’ve got to do,’ he said.”

The Real Reason Sean Penn And Leila George Got Divorced

The pair divorced in September 2021, citing irreconcilable differences in her filing. Penn recently told Hollywood Authentic that he “f—-ed up the marriage” by being “extremely inattentive,” but that he still loves George. “I’m madly in love with Leila George, who I only see on a daily basis now because I messed up the marriage. We were married for one year, but I was a terribly inattentive husband for five years “He admitted it.

“I was not an f——— cheat or anything evident,” he clarified. “But I allowed myself to believe that my role in so many other things was so important, and that included my part in being completely miserable and pushed to drink and Ambien at 11 a.m., by watching the news, by watching the Trump era, by just despairing.”

His fixation with foreign politics drove him to the point where he didn’t know what he was doing in his marriage. “And as it turns out — this is going to surprise you,” he remarked, referring to George’s reaction to his behaviors.

“Beautiful, incredibly kind, imaginative, talented young women who marry a man quite senior to them in years, they don’t actually love it when they wake up from a peaceful night’s sleep and their new husband is on the couch, having been up since 4, watching all of the crap that’s going on in the world and has decided that 10:30 a.m. is a good time to neck a double vodka tonic and an Ambien and say, ‘Good morning, honey. I’m going to sleep for a few hours to get away from all this nonsense.’ As it turns out, the women described do not enjoy it.”

Penn had no idea it was so horrible at the time. He has always known, though, that he adores George. “I know this is my best buddy in the world and without a doubt the most impactful, inspiring person, outside of my own blood, that anyone could wish to have in their life,” he stated.

The two reconciled early in 2022 as Penn was able “to get her back,” revealed a source. “Leila has been in Sean’s life for quite some time,” added the source. “They dated for a while, then broke up, then Sean won her back. He recognized he had made a mistake, and when he realized he would lose her, he strove tirelessly to reclaim her.”