What to Know
It seems like Sean Penn doesn’t think the rules apply to him. Though the state of California has banned smoking in most indoor spaces since 1996, that didn’t stop the 65-year-old actor and director from casually smoking a cigarette during the Golden Globes Awards. Wall Street Journal entertainment reporter Ben Fritz shared a photo of Sean smoking a cigarette while seated beside Leonardo DiCaprio at the awards ceremony. The journalist captioned the shocking photo with, “This can’t be legal.”
It was reportedly difficult to find a place to smoke.
In a report for Vanity Fair, senior awards correspondent Rebecca Ford recalled hearing a director say that he couldn’t figure out where to go to smoke. And based on the viral photo of Sean, it seems like he either didn’t really care about that or gave up on searching. Vanity Fair also confirmed that Sean seemed to be “lighting up a cigarette and smoking right in his seat in the ballroom,” which is certainly… a choice.
While smoking in public places generally seems like a thing of the past (and is illegal in most indoor spaces), it’s actually not the first time Sean has surprised fans by casually smoking a cigarette inside like it’s no big deal. As People pointed out, he also smoked two cigarettes during his appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert back in 2018.
This can’t be legal. pic.twitter.com/hBp0D7O6jt
— Ben Fritz (@benfritz) January 12, 2026
Fans reacted on social media.
If it had been just about any other celebrity, it might’ve been more surprising to people. But reacting to the photo on X, some people actually defended Sean and said he appears to be “exempt” from the rules. While some people called it “a crazy move” and called Sean “complete trash,” others found it amusing. “If you’re Sean Penn you can do that,” one person argued.
On Reddit, several people suggested that this is the exact behavior they’d expect from Sean. “Typical for Sean Penn. ‘Rules don’t apply to me,'” a critic wrote. Another person said, “Yeah he’s an old school smoker. He’s not getting up to go outside and smoke.” Some outright defended the behavior, and others tried to give Sean the benefit of the doubt. “Crazy, he probably thinks he is back in the old days,” someone commented.
Although some people argued that it’s really no big deal, others found it super inconsiderate… regardless of who you are. “If this guy was literally ANYONE else this would be seen as totally uncalled for and rude (which it is). But of course there’s several of you in the comments defending him because he’s a celebrity,” someone else pointed out. “Come on guys.”
