Leila George Is Close To Being Sean Penns Third Ex-Wife, Hopes To Sign Divorce Papers Much Faster

It appears as though things are moving fast since Leila George filed for divorce from Sean Penn after a year of marriage.

George officially filed for divorce in October 2021, and Penn was recently spotted without his wedding ring while out in Malibu on January 21, 2022.

The end of the short-lived marriage may have been less complicated had the legal proceedings not taken a series of twists that extended the process.

Their turbulent relationship had briefly made gossip columns since 2016, but the recent announcement that the couple was separating has been a constant point of discussion.

Leila George – Famous From Birth

George was born in Sydney, Australia, to actor-producer Vincent D’Onofrio and actress Greta Scacchi.

Having been brought up in the world of film and television, it was only natural tha George turned her attention towards the entertainment industry.

She began acting classes at Brighton College, England, in 2008, then attended her mother’s alma mater Crawley College two years later. 

After completing her acting education in the United Kingdom, George decided to move to New York City to both be with her father and to attend the Lee Strasberg Institute to hone her craft.

With famous parents and a well-loved legacy already attached to her name, it was inevitable that Leila George struggled to find her footing as an actress.

She discussed her entrance to Hollywood in a profile in W Magazine, saying:

“I knew there was a huge chance I’d never achieve what they [her parents] have.” 

Taking that into account, George chose to work behind the scenes, learning the art of directing and film editing at the Sydney Film School.

Despite this, she felt the pull towards acting more so than before, 

“When I finished the course all of my friends were continuing on with their film studies at university and I just wasn’t excited about that idea. So I remember calling my dad and saying, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ And he said, ‘What are you most afraid of?’ And I said, ‘Acting maybe?’ And he was like, ‘Well, that’s what you’ve got to do.” she said.

Having always seen her father as a guiding force, George took the plunge and made her professional debut in an Australian production of The Seagull in 2014.

This is often seen as a rite of passage for Hollywood star kids, as Leila George took on the role of Nina just as Gwyneth Paltrow, Vanessa Redgrave, and Natasha Richardson did early in their careers. 

Not one to be unrealistic, George is aware that the Hollywood flame can burn out earlier for some players.

 “If this whole acting thing doesn’t work,” she quipped, “I can always open a bakery.”

Though her filmography is still sparse, George has proved her worth as an up-and-coming star.

Her feature film debut came in 2016’s Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?, which she followed up with Mortal Engines two years later.

In 2019, she starred in The Kid, directed by her father. The retelling of the famous tale of Billy the Kid centers on Jake Schur’s Rio as he navigates the legendary world of the Wild West.

George plays Sara in the film, a young woman captured by the outlaws.

The actress claimed that working with her father was a “dream come true,” adding:

“In most cases, you go into the family business and you start working at your dad’s company or your mum’s company—you know you’re going to be working alongside them. In this industry, you never know. So I feel really extremely lucky that we managed to do it together. The stars had to align.”

George is most regularly seen as the younger version of Janine ‘Smurf’ Cody in Animal Kingdom.

Her Short-Lived Marriage To Sean Penn

In 2016, it was announced that George was romantically involved with Oscar winner Sean Penn.

The couple had been quietly dating for four years when Penn announced they had tied the knot via Zoom during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

After Penn broke the news in a video interview on Late Night With Seth Meyers, a source revealed that the actor had to work to keep George in his life.

“Leila has been in Sean’s life for a while. They got together and then they broke up, and Sean won her back. He realized he had made a mistake and when he felt he might lose her, he worked hard to get her back.”

According to the source, having to spend time together in quarantine helped solidify the relationship, and the two decided to get married after believing they were in it for the long run.

Penn has had his fair share of infamous relationships over the years, most notably his four-year marriage to Madonna.

At the time, Penn was making headlines for violent outbursts in public, particularly against photographers, although Madonna has since defended his actions.

Penn’s marriage to actress Robin Wright was another relationship that made headlines.

The pair had their first child, Dylan Frances, in 1991 and their second in 1993. After this on-again-off-again period, the couple married in 1996 and were together until Wright filed for divorce a second time in 2009.

The Complex Divorce

After just over a year, George filed for divorce in October 2021.

Two months later, the paparazzi snapped photos of George and Penn in Miami, hinting at a possible reconciliation between the two.

The two had attended Penn’s CORE non-profit event at a beach house and were joined by friend and collaborator Leonardi DiCaprio for the evening.

Rumors of them mending the relationship swirled in January 2021, when the couple was photographed in George’s native Australia on New Year’s Day.

People reported that the couple appointed a judge to preside over their divorce proceedings in an unusual move.

The magazine states that Penn will pay the private judge’s services, supplying $950 per hour for the hourly rate and additional attorney fees.

Although nobody knows for certain, it has been guessed that Penn and George hired a judge to help speed up the process amidst the current case backlog in Los Angeles.

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