What you need to know
Sean Penn and his girlfriend Valeria Nikoff are still going strong.
On Wednesday, January 14, the One Battle After Another star, 65, was photographed walking with his girlfriend, 30, in Santa Monica, California.
The two matched in black and white looks, with Penn wearing a white button-up shirt, structured blue blazer, black pants, and white sneakers. Meanwhile, the model opted for a monochromatic black ensemble, wearing a black turtleneck sweater underneath a black peacoat. She accessorized with black slacks and matching sneakers, and a black baguette bag and collared cat-eye sunglasses.
While the two held hands, Nikov chatted with Penn, who was smoking a cigarette with his free hand.
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The Jan. 14 sighting came just days after Penn attended the 2026 Golden Globe Awards ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 11. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.
At the awards ceremony, Penn was seen smoking indoors while sitting at a table with co-star Leonardo DiCaprio and others. According to a photo by Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Fritz, he was photographed smoking a cigarette while sitting next to DiCaprio, 51, and Kate Hudson, 46.
A representative for Penn did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Although Nikov did not appear to accompany Penn to the awards ceremony on January 11, the two were recently photographed at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in May 2025.
A few months earlier, in September 2024, the two were first spotted together in Madrid, Page Six reported. The following month, Nikoff and Penn were spotted together at the Los Angeles airport, according to photos obtained by Page Six.
Antoine Flament/Wire Image
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Then, in November 2024, he made his red carpet debut at the 21st Marrakech International Film Festival in Morocco, where Penn received the Career Achievement Award, according to the Associated Press.
Before Nikoff, Penn was married to Madonna from 1985 to 1989, Robin Wright from 1996 to 2010, and Australian actress Leila George from 2020 to 2022. He is also rumored to be dating Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson, and actress Olga Kolochaeva.
