Not many know that the two-time Oscar winner is also a political and social activist, and according to star news, Penn took his clout over to Venezuela to ask President Hugo Chavez to intervene with Iran’s leader for the hikers’ release.

“Penn was very committed to the case…he flew to Caracas several months ago to raise it with Chavez and he kept on it,”

a source said.

The two hikers, Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, have been released on a $1 million bail in Tehran, and they maintain that they’d merely gotten lost hitchhiking in the face of espionage charges.

Penn, a strong Chavez backer, is hoping the Venezuelan president will be on hand to help in the negotiations.

Way to go, superhero Sean! Who knows there might be a Nobel Peace Prize somewhere in the offing…

Image via WENN

According to Hollywood news and gossip reports, Sean was spotted having an intimate dinner at the Sunset Tower Hotel in LA with Garcelle last Monday night. The actor arrived first, by himself, and then waited at the bar for his date.

A source says:

“When she arrived, they moved to the front corner table, which put them on display. They sat inside for a while and even ordered food.”

After a while, according to the source, the couple moved their little meeting outside—possibly so that they could have a bit of privacy.

Neither Sean’s nor Garcelle’s reps would comment on the nature of their relationship.

Sean recently split with the newly-divorced (and much younger) Scarlett Johansson, after a three-month relationship.

Do you guys approve of Sean’s (alleged) new squeeze?

images via WENN

Before we burst your bubble, let’s take a fond look at the two in the picture above and wonder what might have been…

….because we’ll never know. Sean Penn and Scarlett really have broken up, and the kiss was a friendly buzz after they ran into each other backstage at the Spike TV Guy’s Choice Awards. According to a Twitter source:

“Scarlett Johansson & Sean Penn took a pic together backstage. He gave her a big kiss when he saw her, she gave him kiss bye.”

SEAN PENN and SCARLETT JOHANSSON’S romance has gone kaput!

KIM KARDASHIAN isn’t blindly in love. There will be a PRENUP!

JESSICA SIMPSON is making sure that if ERIC JOHNSON cheats on her, he doesn’t get a dime! Smart!

JENNIFER LOPEZ so-called Sex Tape is very likely to sell for MILLIONS! And likely to be hitting x-rated shops near you anytime soon.

To all TWILIGHT fans: Here’s a movie clip from “Breaking Dawn, Part 1″ where Bella marries her Edward.

KATE WINSLET is NUDE again

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE considers his ex JESSICA BIEL the most significant person in his life! Awww! I say let’s patch things up Justin! And the latest Hollywood gossip has JUSTIN dating ASHLEY OLSEN! I personally do not buy this.

Are there NAKED Photos of BLAKE LIVELY circulating the Internet? (NSFW) They sure do look like Blake.

Want to know what RIHANNA wants in a man? Hot and hung!

PARIS HILTON and her mother decided to talk about her SEX TAPE.. no, no, no it’s not a new one, it’s the same one made seven years ago

RYAN PHILLIPPE and AMANDA SEYFRIED have called it quits again!

KIM KARDASHIAN plans to ditch her last name as soon as she says “I do”.. She’ll be KIM HUMPHRIES instead, do you see this coming?

Dear God, KATE MIDDLETON and her family have become Beliebers overnight as well! Wonder whether we’ll have Justin Bieber Ipod coming out next year? Or better yet next week?

HAYDEN PANETTIERE seems to be rebounding with MARK SANCHEZ? That was fast! Although he denies the dating rumor..

LEANN RIMES is way tooooo skinny, isn’t she? Check out her bikini photos.

ANDY DICK is in hot water—again—this time for allegedly rubbing his private parts on a man’s face!

Check out SNOOKI in her neck brace after her massive fender bender in Italy

ANGELINA JOLIE discusses BRAD PITT’s Manhood

SELENA GOMEZ totally understands Beliebers’ hate for her! We say Perhaps Justin Bieber can help tone down the heat a notch by not grabbing her butt in public?

SNOOKI smashed into a cop car in Italy! Uh-oh..

LADY GAGA works hard to achieve her ridiculously fit body!

SEAN KINGSTON was critically injured in a jet ski accident and thank God, he’s recovering from the tragic incident.

Poor KHLOE KARDASHIAN seems to be stressing about possible infertility

ESTELLA WARREN has gotten away on a technicality and won’t be charged for felony escape

LINDSAY LOHAN in a 90-second Erotic Video filmed by Richard Phillips (Watch!)

For the 2,057 times, we are hearing the same Hollywood rumors of BRANGELINA tying the knot, let’s see if this really happens ever…

MILEY CYRUS ripping up a photo of her and NICK JONAS while she was performing onstage! Now didn’t they break up four years ago???

Don’t forget to bookmark us, we update celebrity gossip round the clock!

photos: WENN

On the heels of reports ScarJo declined to accompany Sean to Cannes where he was subsequently seen leading two beautiful European women to the upper floors of a hotel, it’s been confirmed that their improbable union has gone splitsville.

Hmmm… was he searching for the soft sweetness of young flesh after his bitter divorce from steely-eyed wife, Robin Wright? Was she rebounding on a stable, older guy after her own divorce from a very green Green Lantern star, Ryan Reynolds?

And we thought it was serious when Sean brought Scarlett as his date to a White House correspondents’ dinner.

We’ll never know for sure. These Hollywood flash-in-the-pan romances are exactly that. Wonder who’s up next…Hallie Berry and Justin Timberlake?

Images via WENN

It seems a lot of eyewitnesses saw Penn in a hotel’s glass elevator with a hot blonde and a  sexy brunette, going up with them to the upper floors of the Hotel du Cap in Antibes during the Cannes Film Festival. Nothing wrong with sharing an elevator with a couple of attractive women, right?

Even if you’ve booked rooms on the ground floor that you’re sharing with your teenage son, Hopper.

Wait…isn’t Sean Penn a director, too? Maybe he was just holding casting couch auditions for a new project that time.

How much do you wanna bet?

Images via WENN

With Sean walking hand in hand hitting the red carpet with his leading lady, Jessica Chastain. Sorry Scarlett. Ok, this one is for the show, Sean, Brad and Jessica are there for the premiere of their new film: The Tree of Life. In reality, at least according to the latest hollywood gossip, Sean’s leading lady is still Ryan Reynold’s gorgeous ex, Scarlett Johansson.

Of course Johnny Depp is clinging on to his Pirates of the Caribbean leading lady, Penelope Cruz. Speaking of the Pirates, the mega Disney  sequel will hit theaters this weekend in North America. And I know for sure it will be bad lineups at the theaters! I’m telling my daughter to chill and wait out the rush as she wants to see it rightaway as it drops. We don’t have assigned seats here unlike in Europe meaning first come first served at the theaters and that is TERRIBLE. I would imagine die-hard fans getting in line three hours before the show at least for the first week or two so you can count me out until at least the first week of June. I can hear my girl nagging already.

Other Hollywood News, Cheryl, the gorgeous Girls Aloud member has now been named an official judge on Simon Cowell’s upcoming reality show: The X Factor US Version.

Gorgeous photos of celebrities flocking to the Cannes Film Festival in the gallery. Don’t miss Cheryl Cole looking amazingly sexy in her very low-cut dress.

images via WENN

Penn is a good 20 years older than ScarJo and already has a few kids from a previous relationship but that hasn’t stopped her from wanting to breed. According to well-connected sources, Scarlett really wants to start a family eventhough Sean is foggy on the idea.

Also against this relationship (not to mention children) is Scarlett‘s mother, who thinks Sean is a no-good, bad-boy.

How long do you give this relationship? A few months?

Photos: WENN

ScarJo and Penn – Hollywood’s newest May/December relationship – seem to have quite the PDA-filled kind of a connection. A spy for Page Six reported:

“The surly star then spent dinner all over new flame Scarlett Johansson. “She plopped down in his lap, and they were kissing,” described a shocked witness. The two left the room for “an hour,” sources said, and Penn came back to the table with his tie askew.”

Ugh – they just so smug, right? On the bright side, at least the two recently divorced actors can enjoy each other’s company while they lick their wounds.

Photos: WENN

While it appears ScarJo isn’t pregnant (yet), their relationship has moved to the next level with the two now sharing a living space. As Us Weekly reports:

“The recently divorced 26-year-old “has essentially moved in over the last few weeks,” the source says. And now that the actress and Penn, 50, share the same roof after months of furtive sightings at hotspots in Hollywood, Mexico and beyond, “they just stay home.”

Scar and Sean are “homebodies” who like to lay around and eat, says the source. Ha. I wonder if this was a veiled insult about her latest belly bulge?

Photos: WENN

The pregnancy rumor started after some unflattering photos of ScarJo surfaced over the weekend; ScarJo was pictured with a larger than usual belly while jogging with her new beau Penn and buddy Owen Wilson. After reporting Kimberly Stewart expecting Benicio Del Toro’s baby, nothing seem too shocking at this point.

However Johansson’s rep said it’s just not true; Scarlett isn’t knocked up.

“Scarlett is not pregnant,” her rep tells People magazine. “She’s been training for ‘The Avengers’ for over four months and is in the best shape of her life.”

Her publicist said it was just a bad picture, it’s the placement of her shirt which was misleading.

We are happy to hear that. Do you think Johansson and Penn will last?

photos via WENN

Due to some unflattering paparazzi pictures, of course. Scarlett was shot going jogging with new boyfriend Sean Penn this week and looked particularly full in the stomach area. Like – very full. Potbelly, full. Naturally, the world assumed Scar was pregnant and not fat, but her rep says it’s the latter.

“Scarlett is not pregnant,” the rep says in a statement. “She’s outside running and it’s simply the placement of her shirt that is misleading. She’s been training for The Avengers for over four months and is in the best shape of her life.”

What do you think? Do those pictures look like “the best shape of her life”? She probably just had too many margaritas on vacation and needs to get back in shape.

Photos: WENN

The new couple attended Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth’s wedding together over the weekend as we reported.

“She likes him a lot. He likes her as well obviously, but she is really interested in him, thinks he is very smart and loves that he is not worried about being a movie star. He is very mature and she seems to be falling head over heels. She’s forgotten about Ryan and is all about Sean,” a friend of Scarjo tells Hollywood Life.

Sure he’s more mature good Lord, he’s 24 years older than Scarlett but then again hey look at Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas, they have lasted more than most couples in La La Land and going strong. How about Warren Beatty and Annette Bening? Although they say rebound relationships never last.. What do you think Scarjo and Sean will last?

images via WENN

Spies at the wedding say Scarlett is Jim‘s client and chose to bring Sean as her date to the star-studded affair at Witherspoon‘s mansion this past Saturday.

“Turning up at a wedding with your boyfriend is definitely a huge statement, especially that wedding. What it’s doing is announcing to the whole of Hollywood that they are serious.”

Do you think Sean and Scarlett will last or is this just a post-divorce romp for the pair?

Photos: WENN

As reports say, Scar Jo was heavy petting Sean Penn during a very public dinner in a packed house.

“They were at the best table in the house, but it’s smack in the center, and Sean was annoyed by lookey-loo diners sneaking peeks. There wasn’t an empty table to be had – but Sean sent a hostess to tell three girls in a corner booth that if they’d switch tables, he’d pay for dinner.”

“Sean and Scarlett kissed and petted like their pals weren’t even there. When the evening ended and the lovebirds exited, a waiter handed the three girls a check holder – but there was no bill inside; just a note from Sean that read: ‘Thank you!’”

You know, this is a couple I can actually see making it work.

Photos: WENN

Since February, the tabloids have been posing stories of Scarlett and Sean being a couple and we’ve pretty much denied the possibility thinking they are nothing more than friends. Reason: she’s 26 married to Ryan Reynolds: who’s the Prince of Hotness and Scarlett herself is probably one of the hottest starletts out in Tinsel town. And Sean, 50, he’s almost twice her age. We just couldn’t see them as anything more than friends until now…

Earlier this month, Scarlett and Sean spent time together in a resort out in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

“Both (scarlett & Sean) are very cerebral and intense, but more important, the two of them are all about the work. They both are tough, totally career-focused, no-nonsense people. … I also think they were attracted to each other by their innate bitchiness,” asource added with a laugh.

“Ryan Reynolds [the husband she’s divorcing] was too nice for her. Plus another thing Scarlett and Sean share: A total, deep-seated hatred for the media!”

Yeah, we always love what’s forbidden, don’t we? Can you see Scarlett and Sean making it last? I’m sorry, I can’t.

images via WENN

Shortly after their “lunch date” the two jetted off to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and now she’s tangled up in his “great mind” and “depth.”

“She thinks Sean is amazing. Sure, he’s an incredible actor, but there’s depth. He’s an amazing human being who cares about politics and the world. If she didn’t have to return to work she would still be with him…She doesn’t care about the age difference. He’s exactly the kind of guy she wants,” the friend tells me. “She talks to him every day and can’t wait until she has a break in film so she can run away with him.”

Uh oh – this probably isn’t going to end well for Scarlett…

Photos: WENN

Yeah – doesn’t mean anything. Smiling and laughing does not denote bed-sharing, and didn’t ScarJo and Sean Penn do some sort of Haiti charity work together at one point? In fact, this isn’t the first time rumors have circulated that the two are sharing more than relief effort ideas.

This past January the two reportedly had a fling in L.A. while ScarJo was filming a movie.

Oh, but here’s something decidedly un-date like – Scarlett picked up the tab.

What gentleman would allow that?

Photos: TMZ, WENN

Charlie speaks to GQ’s Amy Wallace about his latest bender, his true feelings about sobriety, and the cyclical insanity of his crazy life. Wallace also interviews Sheen’s closest pals and Kacey Jordan, the 22-year-old adult film star who Sheen invited to be part of his “porn family.” She was also at his mansion for that coke-fueled evening before his 4th stint in rehab, and gives a play-by-play account to Wallace of what happened. Some quotes from the piece:

Charlie Sheen on this latest binge:

“In regards to this whole recent odyssey, I’ll just say this: It was epic. There are two rules at my house right now: You park your judgment at the door, and you enjoy every moment. People can interpret that however they want. Enjoy every sober moment. Enjoy every loaded moment. Just enjoy every moment. It’s not a rehearsal, you know?”

Kacey Jordan’s evening with Sheen left her with a lingering sad feeling:

“He is unhappy, and he probably relates to the porn girls, thinking they’re unhappy, too.”

…on what happened after they briefly had sex that night:

“He was like, ‘Will you blow me? Blow me while I do a hit.’ So I did that,’ she says. Then he asked if she would hold him. ‘I think he was scared. I could see the pain.’ So she did that, too.”

…on her last glimpse of Sheen:

“As I was walking away, I could see him just sitting in the bed, hunched over with his pipe. That night I knew: This is the most self-destructive person I have ever met.”

Sean Penn on Sheen, his long time friend:

“When you divorce the moral judgments, which I prefer to do, I see a guy who has a clearer view of the nature of the world around him than is sometimes comfortable to have. Those are the sort of people who have a tendency to find altered states. But he’s a very ironic character. He’s got pretension in the crosshairs of his wit. I think to a large degree he’s saying, ‘Guys, we’re only going to be here once, so lighten the f*ck up.’”

Click here to read the full article. The April issue of GQ on newsstands nationwide March 22

images via WENN; Lauren Greenfield/GQ

Scarlett and Ryan Reynolds have barely been separated a few months. Do you think Scarlett really moved on to someone almost twice her age?

Just weeks after announcing her split with hubby Ryan Reynolds, Scarlett Johansson, 26, has a new leading man in her life — Academy-Award winning actor Sean Penn, 50!

A source tells the new issue of Us Weekly (on stands now) that the duo began their fling in early January when she was staying at L.A.’s Chateau Marmont while filming We Bought a Zoo with Matt Damon.

“Their first hook-up was in Scarlett’s Bungalow,” says the insider. “Scarlett first reached out to Sean when she was planning to visit Haiti with Oxfam,” says the source. “She knew Sean was living there in a tent and turned to him for advice.”

If the age difference was a problem for Scarlett and Ryan, why would it be better with Sean? And Scarlett kind of looks like Robin Wright, Sean’s ex. Coincidence?

Photos via WENN