Lee Daniels issued a public apology to Sean Penn to settle a $10 million lawsuit for statements he made accusing the 55-year-old actor of beating singer Madonna.
The settlement called for Daniels, 56, to donate an unspecified amount to Penn's favorite Haitian relief organization, the “Mystic River” Haiti charity.
“I am sorry that I have hurt you Sean, and I apologize and retract my reckless statements about you,” the openly gay filmmaker said in a statement released Wednesday.
In a September 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Daniels defended domestic violence accusations made against actor Terrence Howard, star of his hip hop soap opera, Empire.
Daniels said Howard “ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he’s some f—in’ demon.”
In his humble statement Wednesday, Daniels said: “I, too, have been the subject of false attacks by others. 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. That can be very damaging and hurtful.”
In response to his apology, Penn said, “I accept Lee’s heartfelt apology and appreciate the sincerity with which it was delivered.”
Thanks to loyal reader Nanny for the tip.
