Sean Penn has filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against Empire creator Lee Daniels. The complaint, filed Tuesday in New York Supreme Court, asserts that in Daniels' recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Penn was falsely accused of hitting women by being likened to Empire star Terrence Howard. Now, Penn has retained former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart, who declined to comment but referred THR to the first paragraph of the complaint, which states, "As a result of Penn's status as a public figure, he has for years been the subject of scandalous, scurrilous, and baseless attacks. But Penn, like any citizen, has a right to defend himself and will no longer tolerate the reckless and malicious behavior of others, who seek to aggrandize themselves or their projects at his expense."
