Crazy-faced actor Mickey Rourke has accused Marin resident and thespian of note Sean Penn of being a big ol' homophobe. According to a text (allegedly) sent by Rouke to a studio executive, plastic man says, "'Look seans an old friend of mine and i didnt buy his performance [in Milk] at all--thought he did an average pretend acting like he was gay besides hes one of the most homophobic people i kno (sic).'"

While this is nothing more than tasty gossip, we could totally see it being true. Or not. Who cares, really.

Sean Penn is an actor, a job slightly less emasculating and effete than a gay porn fluffer, so hating homos is a knee-jerk reaction to working in a such a fruity industry. Besides, Penn hangs out in local, progressive circles -- who, sadly, have turned increasingly snotty towards the gays as of late -- and you have too look no further than a few members of the SF Board of Supes and a fistful of (allegedly) progressive bloggers who, while lavishing praise on queer activism, would find it beneath them to take silly faggots seriously.

Sean Penn, if you recall, played former San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk in this year's critically-acclaimed biopic, Milk. Rourke, who miraculously starred in a hit film this year, The Wrestler, is considered Penn's stiffest competition at this year's Oscar race. So: grain of salt, folks.