Sean Penn Files $10 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against 'Empire' Co-Creator

Sean Penn has filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against Empire co-creator Lee Daniels. Penn filed in the suit on Tuesday in New York Supreme Court, where he stated that in Daniels' recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he was falsely accused of hitting women. Penn says that Daniels accused him of domestic violence with a comparison to Terrence Howard.

“Terrence ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he's some f**ing demon. That's a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America” this was what Daniels told THR in reference to Howard's recent legal troubles

Penn has retained former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart, who has declined to comment on the matter instead he quote what was in the first paragraph of his client lawsuit “As a result of Penn's status as a public figure, he has for years been the subject of scandalous, scurrilous, and baseless attacks. But Penn, like any citizen, has a right to defend himself and will no longer tolerate the reckless and malicious behavior of others, who seek to aggrandize themselves or their projects at his expense. Accordingly, and because of Daniels' defamatory statements, Penn brings this action for monetary relief, and to deter Daniels and others from their defamatory actions."