© REUTERS / Andrew Wallace / Mike Blake
(New York, NY) – It’s no secret that actor Sean Penn loves his cigarettes. He’s been known to light up at press conferences and seemingly has no shame when it comes to flouting public smoking laws. That much was clear while he sat alongside fellow thespian Leonardo DiCaprio at the 2026 Golden Globes awards ceremony.
Despite being indoors, the 65-year-old Penn was spotted sneaking cigarettes multiple times throughout the ceremony. Vanity Fair reported that Penn was lighting up without a care — right at his table — rather than stepping outside for a smoke break as other guests were doing. Photos showed him puffing away while conversing with actress Kate Hudson. And multiple cigarette butts were seen extinguished in his glass of water, indicating he indulged throughout the evening.
At one point, while an award was being handed out for the mega-popular KPop Demon Hunters, a plume of smoke could be seen on screen. Was that from one of Penn’s darts? People on social media speculated it might be. “This can’t be legal,” one person mused. Another suggested people “find someone who loves them as much as Sean Penn loves cigarettes.”
Smoking indoors is prohibited in California venues such as the Beverly Hilton in California — where the event was held. That ban has been in effect since 1995 when Penn was starring in films like “Dead Man Walking” and the “The Crossing Guard.” A notorious public smoker, Penn often indulges during interviews, on the red carpet, and in other professional settings.
Penn has said that he quit smoking for health reasons around his 40th birthday in the year 2000. He reportedly smoked four packs a day at that point. But he’s since abandoned that effort.
Around his 40th birthday (in 2000), Penn quit smoking for a period for health reasons. At the time, he was known as one of Hollywood’s heaviest smokers, reportedly consuming up to four packs a day. But now, Penn says: “I don’t try to quit anymore, I love it.”
