Sean Penn thought he’d swing by the Jan. 6 Congressional Hearings, ‘just to observe’

Sean Penn is no stranger to unexpected appearances. The star is known for his roles in movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Mystic River, and Sweet and Lowdown. However, he recently made an even more unexpected appearance when he was seen in the audience at the January 6th Committee Fifth Public Hearing. 

According to Business Insider, Penn was seen alongside DC Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges at the hearings. When asked about his presence by CNN’s Annie Grayer, Penn said: “I’m just here to observe, [as] just another citizen.” 

He went on to add that: 

“I think we all saw what happened on Jan. 6, and now we’re looking to see if justice comes on the other side of it.” 

This has been confirmed by several other journalists and outlets who have posted images of Penn at the hearings, including ABC News, and NPR.

It should be noted that Penn isn’t a stranger to political events. He was a vocal critic of George W. Bush, even posting an open letter criticizing the president in the Washington Post. More recently, the star has been regularly talking about the conflict in Ukraine as he was filming in the area just before the war began. Penn has made several media appearances praising and supporting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s actions.