Sean Penn Kicks Out Reporter for Challenging Him on 'Rectal Cancer' Remark

March 12th, 2010 11:25 AM

Is Sean Penn getting a bit too close with Venezuelan dictator (yes Sean, he is a dictator) Hugo Chavez? He seems to be taking a page from Chavez's book in dealing with the press.

A reporter for the Washington Examiner was kicked out of a question-and-answer session with Penn after asking him about recent controversial remarks Penn made about his critics. It seems that the actor and wannabe lefty commentator doesn't like being asked tough questions.

"I think that you are investing in a culture that I am not interested in. And you should go your way," Penn told Tara Palmeri, a reporter for the Examiner's "Yeas and Nays" column. (Video embedded below the fold).

C.J. Jordan, the publicity coordinator for the gala at the Washington Hebrew Congregation, had already begun scolding Palmeri for deviating from the initial topic of the Q&A, which was Penn's involvement with humanitarian efforts in Haiti.

Pameri had asked Penn, "How have you seen your critics change since you mentioned that they should die of rectal cancer?" Penn told CBS's Lara Logan last Friday that he hoped his critics would "die screaming of rectal cancer".

The following exchange ensued off camera, according to "Yeas and Nays":

Jordan ended the interview, and the reporter was publicly scolded outside of the media room. The reporter then was told that to keep her job, she needed to write a letter of apology to the Haitian ambassador and was threatened to be escorted out of the building by police.

"You desecrated this sacred place," Jordan said.

The congregation's Rabbi Bruce Lustig attempted to take the reporter's recording device and delete the material. The reporter was approached by police and threatened to be escorted out, even though she responded calmly and exited quickly.