Sean Penn, 64, makes red carpet debut with girlfriend Valeria Nicov, 30, Internet calls them 'so awkward'

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO: Sean Penn, 64, and his model girlfriend Valeria Nicov, 30, elegantly made their red carpet debut at the Marrakech International Film Festival on Saturday, November 30.

The couple—who initially sparked dating rumors when they were spotted kissing in Madrid—attended the event held in Penn's honor alongside a star-studded guest list that included Monica Bellucci, Tim Burton, and Andrew Garfield, reported Daily Mail.

Sean Penn and girlfriend Valeria Nicov make red carpet debut in style

The 'Mystic River' actor wore a black suit and tie for his latest red carpet appearance, while his model-actress girlfriend wore a flowing off-the-shoulder raven gown that hung down to the ground.

The Moldovan actress concealed her figure in the billowing gown, enhancing her glowing complexion with makeup that accentuated her screen-siren features.

She had the air of the gamines of old-school movies like Audrey Hepburn and Leslie Caron because of her dark hair, which was pulled back into a tight bun.

Penn—who is friends with Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, Moldova's neighbor—was receiving recognition for his accomplished acting and directing career at the film festival, per Page Six.

The 64-year-old, who has won two Oscars for 'Milk' and 'Mystic River,' and dedicated decades to acting and directing in Hollywood, was given a special honor that evening.

Penn delivered a passionate speech receiving the award from Italian actress Valeria Golino, who starred in his 1991 directorial debut, 'The Indian Runner'.

"I think it's our job to exploit our diversity in positive ways, and to stand up for it, to embody it," he said in his speech, per Hello! Magazine.

"I would just encourage everybody to be as politically incorrect as their heart desires and to engage in diversity and keep telling those stories."

Sean Penn and Valeria Nicov were initially linked in September after being spotted in Madrid

The Oscar winner and his much younger girlfriend have been linked since they were spotted making out passionately while strolling through Madrid in early September.

Then, in early October, they were spotted kissing at Los Angeles International Airport. The May-December couple was spotted cuddling up as they strolled the streets of Paris later that month, per images obtained by Daily Mail.

With Nicov on his arm and what looked like a toothpick in his mouth, Penn was seen strolling through the City of Love. They once clasped hands and entwined their fingers as his girlfriend looked at her phone.

Nicov, a native of Chisinau, the capital of Molodvan, is currently based in France and speaks seven languages. She has acted in the Netflix series 'Emily in Paris'.

Nicov and Penn started dating three years after he divorced his third and most recent wife, 32-year-old Leila George, after only 15 months of marriage.

The actor told Hollywood Authentic in April 2022, "We were married technically for one year, but for five years, I was a very neglectful guy."

Despite their notoriously turbulent romance, Penn and Madonna, who were married from 1985 to 1989, have remained friends since their divorce.

He later married 'Forrest Gump' star Robin Wright, with whom he has a son named Hopper, 30, and a daughter named Dylan, 33, who is older than Nicov.

Sean Penn slammed for having 'gross age difference' with GF Valeria Nicov

Social media users slammed the Academy Award-winning star for dating a much younger woman as one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, "Worse than looking like the dad is looking like the grand dad!"

A second user exclaimed, "Isn’t he at all embarrassed by how sick that looks..and if he didn’t have money..she would never look at him"

"Hollywood oozes dirty old men. Nasty af," seethed another.

Several users took to the comments section of the Daily Mail article to express their views about Penn's romance with Nicov. One wrote, "Such a gross age difference."

Another wondered, "She’s having his kid? They’ e barely been together. Guess she wanted a meal ticket. He’s revolting."

"I thought it was his granddaughter," snarked one person, while another asked, "Do they never feel embarrassed in public with their so much younger partners?"

One reader remarked, "Something about this couple feels wrong and unhealthy. She looks like his caregiver, and he looks like a thief stealing her youth. The taller and younger she is, the shorter and older he seems."

"With her being less than half of his age I would consider her a carer more than a girlfriend to be honest," said another.

One individual exclaimed, "Odd pairing...sean pennful to look at and hailee steinfeld older sister looks pained to be there!"

One netizen remarked, "At 64 he must feel out of place when out with a 30 year old woman," while another noted, "They look so awkward together."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.