Today's Evil Beet Gossip

You Know Those Two U.S. Prisoners in Iran Who Were Just Released? Sean Penn Helped

Photo: Sean Penn and girlfriend Shannon Costello with former U.S. President Bill Clinton

You know those two hikers who were imprisoned in Iran? The ones who finally returned to the United States just today? OK: Sean Penn helped negotiate their release, CNN.com is reporting.

Wait, what? Exactly. CNN:

The report was first published by the Reuters news agency, which cited a source close to the release process as saying that Penn flew to Venezuela months ago to speak about the hikers’ plight with President Hugo Chavez, an ally of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mara Buxbaum, a rep for Penn, confirmed the Reuters report but declined to provide additional details.

Holy cow. I had no idea actors could even do that sort of thing—request audiences with foreign dignitaries, I mean, and then correct the injustices of the world with some schmoozin’. The very prospect kind of terrifies me. I guess maybe Bono does it, and it’s cool when Bono does it. Everyone loves Bono. But Sean Penn is so temperamental! Should he really be flying around and talking to presidents?

All dumbstruck horror aside: Kudos, Sean Penn.

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