Sean Penn, 65, Steps Out With 30-Year-Old Girlfriend Valeria Nicov in Santa Monica After Smoking Scandal

Sean Penn’s relationship with a much-younger woman appears to be going strong.

The actor, 65, was recently spotted out and about with his girlfriend, Valeria Nicov, 30, in Santa Monica, California, on Wednesday, January 14.

Photos circulating online show the couple holding hands and dressed smartly for the outing. Penn wore a dark blazer paired with a white shirt and dark pants, while Nicov opted for an all-black look featuring casual pants, a turtleneck, and a peacoat.

The pair were first linked in September 2024, when they were spotted shopping together.

Their latest sighting comes just days after Penn made headlines at the Golden Globe Awards, on Sunday, January 11. The actor — who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in One Battle After Another — was seated between his costar Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Hudson.

Penn drew attention for breaking venue rules by smoking inside the Beverly Hilton, a smoke-free facility, three times, Rob Shuter reported in his Naughty But Nice Substack.

Nicov did not attend the Globes with Penn. However, the couple were previously spotted together at the 78th Cannes Film Festival last May.

Before his current relationship, Penn was married three times — first to Madonna from 1985 to 1989, then to Robin Wright from 1996 to 2010, and most recently to Leila George, whom he wed in 2020 before their split in 2022.