Sean Penn and his girlfriend, Valeria Nicov, don’t often step out together publicly, but they made an exception on January 14, 2026 when they were photographed by Backgrid holding hands while walking somewhere.
Penn, 65, wore dark pants with a white collared shirt and blazer, completing his look with white sneakers. Nicov wore an all-black ensemble consisting of sneakers, trousers, a knee-length coat, and mini shoulder bag. Her brunette hair flowed around her shoulders, and she wore a pair of shades tucked into her collar.
The outing came three days after Penn attended the Golden Globes by himself. People says their stroll took place in Santa Monica, California.
Who Is Sean Penn’s Girlfriend?
Sean Penn’s girlfriend, Valeria Nicov, is an actress and model from Moldova. She is 30 years old, according to E! News. On Instagram, she calls herself a gamer and says she is represented for film work by Annabel Karouby at Agence Plan A in France, and the Engers Portelli agency in Great Britain. She lists Premium Models as her modeling agency.
Before dating Nicov, Penn was briefly linked to actress Olga Korotyayeva, whom he dated after ending his year-long marriage to Leila George. Penn had two other wives prior to Leila; he was famously married to Madonna from 1985 to 1989, and shared a 14-year marriage with Robin Wright that began in 1996. Penn and Wright welcomed two children, a daughter and a son, in the early ’90s.
The “Dead Man Walking” star talked about Madonna in an old David Letterman appearance. When the late night host asked him what things were like with the megastar after the split, he declined to comment, and simply joked, “I’ve never met the woman.”
Sean Penn Previously Discussed ‘Heartbreak’
Sean Penn told the New York Times in 2024 that he was “thrilled” to be single. He also said in a portion of the interview, “I’m just free. If I’m going to be in a relationship, I’m still going to be free, or I’m not going to be in it, and I’m not going to be hurting. I don’t sense I’ll have my heart broken by romance again.”
He recalled how in one of his marriages, the constant background noise of reality TV left him feeling like his heart and brain were “shrinking” before adding, “I was dying.”
He also hinted that his past relationships have been to drama-filled for his liking, and said he’d learned from some of his “beautiful, wonderful” female friends that “relationships don’t have to be dramatic or draining.”
Can you not see it?