Scarlett Johansson Is Half Sean Penn's Age; Thoughts?

By Nicki Gostin Posted Mar 15th 2011 12:16AM

Pop-Ed: Like a lot of people, I clicked on the item about Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson recently sharing an intimate dinner at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood. The meal comes on the heels of their kinda-weird brief jaunt to Mexico together (they spent less than a day there).

As I read it I thought things like, "Wow she's moving on from her split from hubby Ryan Reynolds, and I guess things really are kaput between Sean and Robin Wright."

The 'Iron Man 2' star separated from Ryan Reynolds in December. The pair was wed in September 2008. Penn and Wright married in 1996 and after a couple of breakups and reconciliations divorced last year. They have two children, daughter Dylan and son Hopper.

And then suddenly I thought, wait a minute, just how old are these budding lovebirds, anyway? Much to my dismay, Penn turns 51 this August, and Johansson turned 26 in November. That's a nearly 25-year age gap between them.

Let's put it this way: Johansson is only six years older than Dylan, Penn's daughter with Wright.

We all know that if the sexes were reversed the tabloids would be screaming headlines with words like cougar and boy toy. When Madonna dates one of her increasingly younger boyfriends, the press always finds out how old the young man's mother is and compares her age to Madonna's. (Ironically Madonna and Sean Penn were married for four years in the '80s.)

Am I being a prude by thinking it's just a tad skeevy that Penn is dating someone literally half his age? Could it just be noted that there is a quarter of a century age difference between the two?

I'm hoping that this is a fling and the two of them find partners closer to their age. Wouldn't it be great to see Penn holding hands with someone his own age or dare I say it, a couple of years older? I think that would be a really radical thing for the famously liberal firebrand actor to do.

Tags: Scarlett Johansson, Sean Penn

Comments

(107)

Tuesday 15 March

By Richard

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Who cares how old they are? Marriages in this country - and especially Hollywood marriages - don't usually last more than 5 or 10 years anyway. Penn has at least that many years left. People have to live life and love for now, who knows what's going to happen tomorrow?

By MrsKiwi

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What is wrong with this girl? She gave up her gorgeous husband for this wrinkly, old, nasty, liberal, idiot. Good lord. I hope he's just the rebound guy. G-R-O-S-S!!!

By cashmanknowsall

Careful Scarlett. He is a raging liberal, so that means when he feels charitable he'll want to give away your money.

By summerctz

OK, I know older men (my brother for one)who have said that while something like this would be hot,in reality, it would be kind of weird to be with a "girl" that's in the same age range as a child of theirs. Just ain't right. lol

And yeah, she wouldn't be with him if he bagged groceries for a living. He really is kind of skanky looking.

I have to wonder when older men (in Hollywood and "real" life) will realize these young things are only with them for their money, status,etc.?

By Bayleon02

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Smart men get why young, pretty women would be interested in them but some don't care, and have relationships with younger women anyway. The up side is flattery to their egos, a younger woman appears to be interested in them, and they may feel younger being with a younger woman. The down side is that the woman is probably expecting financial security and lots of it, from her older boyfriend or hubby. Also, the older man is having children when he sometimes is old enough to have grandchildren.

By GetReal

Sean Penn????!!! Oh good grief.....not that idiot!

By kenney lee

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Do you know why there is no looting going on in Japan ? It's because there are no Blacks or Mexicans there. Or White Trash either.

By jcollina

He will be sorry.

By Annemarie

Who cares? They're adults. I personally wouldn't date anyone Sean Penn's age but there's nothing wrong if Scarlett wants to date Sean Penn. It's her ADULT choice. Age is nothing but a number as long as the two people involved are consenting adults.

By C

At this rate, Kanye's number at her deli will be called any minute. They are all HO's!!!

By Kid Kielboss

Good for Sean! Scarlett is HOTTT!!! Way hotter than Bullock. What? Did you think Sean was actually going to date someone his own age after his divorce, get with it!

By BUTCHBUSS00

THERES SOME ROOMS IN THE NUT NHOUSE OR THE JAIIL OPEN RIGHT NOW

By happy Christian Republican

From Ryan Reynolds to Sean Penn! Gross! The girl has lost her mind...Robin Wright run while you can...

By Stewart Allen

Boy is she a waste of space, too bad she is smoking hot, but she marries an idiot and now going out with an ugly bum.

By Jen

My husband is 22 years older than me. We started dating when I was 25 and he was 47, now 38 and 60. I still think he's a sexy man, so what's the problem? Consider all of the issues with marriage and relationships, if age is the only difference, grab it with all your might and run with it.

By kittylit

So you think it's alright for the "tabloids to be screaming headlines with words like cougar and boy toy" and want to do the same thing with Penn and Johansson? Mind your own business and get a life!

By Ron

Scarlett Johansson should marry anyone she likes but Sean is such a dufus why choose him? She must be having some sort of identity crisis.

By Nancy

I want Madonna and Sean back together now!!!! lol Anyways no I think the two of them really are soulmates they seem to have a stubborn chemisrty together that doesn't seem to have broken over the 20yrs they've been divorced and married to other people.

By Codeman

I can't blame him for jumping her bones if given a chance. I would and I'm older than he is. She is one of the most gorgeous women in Hollywood, let alone the world. She is not ghetto trash but a fine young woman. I hope that they have a great time together while they can.

By V

He is gross....nuff said.

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