14 DAY TRIAL // Charlize Theron and Sean Penn were, from day 1, the odd couple in showbiz. They started dating in late 2013 and went public months later, saying the romantic relationship evolved from a close friendship. Things took a turn for the worst on May 20, after they attended the Life Ball in Vienna, it has emerged.
They got into a very explosive fight and he turned verbally and physically violent towards her, Star Magazine writes in its latest print edition (story via CB).
“When the split came, no one was surprised”
The report cites the usual “unnamed insiders” as sources for the story, but the amount of detail included, as well as Sean’s history of violence towards women indicate there might be some truth to it.
At the time they made their last red carpet outing together as a couple, they were believed to be engaged, but Charlize had already started to see signs of Sean’s infamous hot temper, says one spy.
Then, something happened that she won’t talk about in detail not even with her closest friends, which left her scared for her safety and that of her son. Admittedly, whatever it was (the source does say that it was abuse of the verbal and physical kind), Sean tried to blame it on alcohol, literally begging her not to leave him.
Charlize had had it, adds the source. She “ghosted” him, choosing not to answer any of his calls after the breakup - not even those that demanded extra explanations on account of not understanding what he’d done wrong.
As per the report, no one from their circle of friends was surprised that they broke up. Charlize grew up in a family marked by domestic violence, with her mother ending up shooting her father dead in a fight. She has zero tolerance for any kind of abuse.
She thought he had changed
Celebrity gossip readers know that Sean Penn has a history of violence towards women, starting with his famous ex-wife Madonna. He’s also assaulted several journalists and paparazzi, and the unofficial word is that he’s one of the nastiest, most violent celebrities out there when he’s drunk.
Also according to rumor, that last part happens a lot, so he’s not exactly a pleasure to be around.
Charlize had been friends with him for years before they started dating and even thinking of getting married, so she must have known this side of him as well.
“Charlize knew about Sean’s past yet was convinced he was over that period of his life,” another source reveals for the tab. “It got to the point where she didn’t trust him around her son anymore. For his sake as well as her own, she pulled the plug on the relationship. Charlize is a strong, mature person and Sean is a bully who drinks too much and throws tantrums. She just couldn’t take it anymore.”
Reps for either star are yet to comment on this, but hoping they would is pointless: they hardly take any stand when it comes to their clients’ personal life.