Long-time smoker Sean Penn couldn’t make it through the Golden Globes without his nicotine fix, and he was even spotted lighting up inside the theater where the show was being held.
Vanity Fair reports that Penn was spotted lighting a cigarette at his table inside the theater the show was being held at.
“Several guests have been looking for a spot to smoke outside the theater. But one director told me he saw [him] just light up inside the theater, right at his table,” the outlet reported.
Penn, 65, is no stranger to smoking in unexpected places.
The actor has been seen puffing away on-camera and in public before, and this year’s gala was no exception.
According to California Law: "State law prohibits smoking in all enclosed workplaces."
So technically, the actor was breaking the law - though it's doubtful anything will come of it.
Penn’s Smoking History Includes On-Camera Puffing
Penn hasn’t let four walls stop him from lighting up in the past.
The actor puffed away during a 2018 interview on Late Show with Stephen Colbert and also chain-smoked while speaking at a press conference at the 2024 Marrakech International Film Festival.
Perhaps he needed the cigarette to unwind after taking a few roasting jabs from host Nikki Glaser during her opening monologue.
Nikki Glaser Roasts Penn Onstage
Glaser kicked things off by poking fun at Penn’s appearance.
“[Penn is] such an original. Everyone in this town is obsessed with looking younger. Meanwhile, Sean Penn is like, 'What if I slowly morph into a sexy leather handbag?'” she quipped.
As the audience erupted in laughter, Glaser reassured the Oscar-winning actor that the look he has going on is “hot” and “good.” While the joke may have ruffled the feathers of someone with thinner skin, Penn’s face lit up as he laughed along with the crowd.
Glaser didn’t stop there, turning the spotlight to Penn’s humanitarian work in conflict zones.
“I feel like a lot of actors talk the talk, but Sean Penn will actually go to the places in the world that need help the most, and he will do c*caine there,” she joked. “And I feel like we don’t celebrate that enough.” Penn closed his eyes as he chuckled along to the crack.
She even claimed she cleared the joke with Penn’s closest friends, adding: “Blame it on them.”
Glaser’s Explosive Opening Monologue Sets Tone for Ceremony
Glaser opened the 2026 ceremony with a major bang, dropping an explosive Epstein files joke before shifting to torch Leonardo DiCaprio and CBS News.
Early in her set she said: “I cannot believe the amount of star power we have in this room tonight. It is insane. So many A-listers - and by A-listers, I mean people who are on ‘a list’ that has been heavily redacted.”
Her riff drew both cheers and groans from the celebrity audience.
She also handed out a joking award for “best editing” to Donald Trump’s Justice Department, saying they have released just 1 percent of the Epstein files since November 2025.
“Yes. Congratulations,” she added before ripping into CBS News. “And the award for most editing goes to CBS News. Yes, CBS News, America’s newest place to see BS news. We needed another,” she said.