Lee Daniels Apologizes To Sean Penn In Defamation Suit Settlement

It appears that Sean Penn vs. Lee Daniels is officially over. You may recall, Penn was suing Lee Daniels for defamation, following an interview in which Daniels called him an abuser. In an attempt to defend Terrence Howard, Daniels said, “[Terrence] ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he’s some f*ckin’ demon.”  Sean Penn didn’t like his name being brought into the mix, so he brought up a $10 million lawsuit. 

The lawsuit has been settled and the terms of the settlement are confidential.  However, the apology letter that went along with the settlement is very public. “I am so sorry that I have hurt you Sean, and I apologize and retract my reckless statements about you,” Daniels wrote. “How thoughtless of me. You are someone I consider a friend, a brilliant actor and true Hollywood legend and humanitarian.” 

His letter continued, “My most important role is as a father, and it is important to me that my children learn that it is wrong to reference gossip as fact, as I did here.”

As part of the settlement, Lee Daniels also has to donate to Penn’s Haitian relief organization.