On January 14, Oscar-winning actor-filmmaker Sean Penn was seen in a rare public outing with his longtime girlfriend, Valeria Nicov. She is a 30-year-old model and actress.
According to E! Online, the couple was seen holding hands and walking after a lunch date in Santa Monica, California. Just Jared also reported that they were out shopping.
While Penn, 65, wore a classic white love-sleeved buttoned-down shirt, a navy jacket, gray trousers, and a pair of white sneakers, his partner opted for an all-black attire, comprising a pair of joggers, a peacoat, a high-neck top, sunglasses, a shoulder bag, and tennis shoes.
It is noteworthy that their date came three days after Sean Penn attended the 83rd Golden Globes alone at the Beverly Hilton. While he was snubbed of the Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Award for One Battle After Another, he was seen having a good time and laughing at host Nikki Glaser’s jokes about him.
All about Sean Penn’s romance with Valeria Nicov
Sean Penn and Valeria Nicov first made headlines when they were seen kissing and holding hands on the streets of Madrid, Spain, in September 2024. The pictures captured by Page Six immediately went viral, with fans speculating when the pair began dating and about their 35-year age gap.
The following month, they were seen at the LAX Airport. In November, Sean and Valeria made their red-carpet debut as a couple on the second day of the 21st Marrakech International Film Festival, where a Ceremony Tribute was dedicated to the actor.
Their romance came as a surprise, as the Dead Man Walking star told the New York Times during a June 2024 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.”
His comment came after a year-long relationship with Ukrainian actress and influencer Olga Korotyayeva ended.
According to her Instagram bio, Valeria Nicov is a Moldovan national. She has been a drama student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London.
Currently, Valeria is signed to Paris-based independent modelling agency, Premium Models. Nicov has also had several acting ventures since 2018, including Lineman Up: Storm Soldiers 3, Tenor, Paris Pigalle, Mike, and Don’t Worry About the Kids.
Sean Penn’s current girlfriend is also signed to two talent agencies, the UK-based Engers Portelli and Agence Plan A in France. Recently, she also appeared in a cameo on the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris, as a barkeep.
Among other details about Valeria Nicov is that she’s fluent in French, Spanish, Russian, and English, enjoys horse riding, and is 5’10”. Also, her 20.3K-strong Instagram has diverse content, including fashion, lifestyle, and travel.
Among Nicov’s close friends are French actress-model Camille Razat and French singer, actress, model, and filmmaker Josephine de la Baume.
While Valeria Nicov was missing from the 2026 Golden Globes, she accompanied her boyfriend to the Cannes Film Festival and the Film Festival Lumiere last year.
Over the years, Sean Penn has had a long list of celebrity girlfriends, including Elizabeth McGovern, Demi Moore, Charlize Theron, and Susan Sarandon. He has also been married thrice, first to Madonna, then to Robin Wright, and finally to Leila George.
Penn has two children with Wright: daughter, Dylan Frances, and son, Hopper Jack, both actors like their talented parents.
In 2022, Sean Penn told Hollywood Authentic that he “f**ked up” his third marriage and was still in “love” with Leila George.
He lost this year’s Golden Globe Award to Stellan Skarsgard. While he attended the event by himself, he had a nice time, mostly thanks to host Nikki Glasser, who called him a “devoted humanitarian” during her monologue.
“I feel like a lot of actors talk the talk, but Sean Penn will actually go to the places in the world that need help the most, and he will do cocaine there. Sean, I did get permission to do that joke from your two best friends, Charlie Sheen and El Chapo,” Glaser joked.
Penn was seen laughing at his own expense, including when Nikki compared him to a “sexy leather handbag.”
“Everyone in this town is obsessed with looking younger, but Sean Penn is like, ‘What if I slowly morph into a sexy leather handbag?’ It’s hot. It’s good,” Nikki added.
Glaser later revealed on the January 13 episode of The Howard Stern Show that she had more jokes about Sean Penn that didn’t land in her monologue, including claiming that he was nominated for “Best Neck Veins” and looked like “the defiant last tree standing in a rainforest.”
Edited by Pallavi K