Did Amber Heard Date Sean Penn After Splitting With Johnny Depp?

Johnny Depp's $50 million defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard is one that both fans and critics alike won't forget for a very long time. That's because the cringeworthy and even downright disturbing details revealed about Heard and Depp's relationship has a lot of people wondering how their marriage even lasted as long as it did. From a recording of the "Aquaman" star admitting to abuse — and even claims that Heard supposedly defecated in their marital bed – it's been hard to look away from the trial. At one point, Depp's bodyguard Malcolm Connolly was even asked if he had seen the actor's exposed penis. This not only prompted Connolly to say, "I think I would've remembered seeing Mr. Depp's penis," but also made Depp himself burst out in laughter. 

While Depp and Heard certainly had a lot of ups and downs during their tumultuous marriage, a lot of people are surprised to find out that Heard had apparently moved on from her ex-husband to another A-list Hollywood star: Sean Penn. But this was only after another Heard's relationship with another big name had fizzled out.

By now, a lot of Amber Heard's fans know that soon after she and Johnny Depp pulled the plug on their marriage back in 2016, Heard moved on with Elon Musk. Unfortunately, the couple split the next year, but there were enough headlines and rumors about their romance to prompt them to release a joint statement in August 2017. They told People, "People occasionally send out speculation, which has no basis in fact, without our knowledge, believing that that they have our best interests in mind. Sometimes, other agendas are at work. It can get a little weird," before adding that they have nothing but "respect for one another."

Musk and Heard apparently got back together, only to split up again in February 2018. But little do some fans know that only a month later, Heard had apparently moved on with Sean Penn, according to Page Six. They were spotted having dinner at the Tower Bar at the Sunset Tower Hotel, a popular celeb hangout. A source told the outlet that the actors definitely "looked like they were on a date," adding, "They shared a bottle of red wine and were flirty and intimate with each other, at times in deep conversation and at times laughing."  

Interestingly enough, Heard wasn't the only person in Penn's speed dial that year.

Amber Heard's date with Sean Penn might have just been that: a date. That's because the "Milk" star was actually linked to Leila George that year, too. Penn and George were first reported as an item in October 2016, but were on and off for several years before they got married in July 2020, per People. 

Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last. E! News reports that the ex-couple finalized their divorce on April 22, less that two years after their wedding. Penn admitted that he "f***ed up" their marriage, but clarified that he never cheating during their relationship. He told Hollywood Authentic, "I was not a f***ing cheat or any of that obvious s**t, but I allowed myself to think that my place in so many other things was so important, and that included my place in being totally depressed and driven to alcohol and Ambien at 11 o'clock in the morning." 

It seems like whatever happened between Heard and Penn during that one dinner ended as quickly as it began. The "Mystic River" star got serious with George, while Heard moved on with Vito Schnabel, Andy Muschietti, and even Bianca Butti. But now that they both are apparently single, perhaps the timing is ripe for them to give it another go.