Los Angeles, Jun 25 (IANS): Hollywood star Sean Penn has spoken about how his perspective on romance changed and said that he doesn't sense he will have his heart broken by love again.

"I'm just free. If I'm going to be in a relationship, I’m still going to be free, or I'm not going to be in it, and I’m not going to be hurting," the 63-year-old star said in an interview with The New York Times, reports People.com.

"I don't sense I'll have my heart broken by romance again," added Penn, who was previously married to Madonna from 1985 to 1989.

In 1996, the actor married Robin Wright, with whom he shares a daughter, Dylan Frances Penn, and a son, Hopper Jack Penn.

The couple opted for separation and got divorced in 2010. Penn then tied the knot with Australian actress Leila George in 2020, but a year later, their divorce process was finalised in April 2022.

The two-time Oscar-winning actor has reportedly been linked to Hollywood stars such as Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson, and actress Olga Korotyayeva.

While reflecting on his love life, he jogged his memory and recalled instances where "the first thing I see in the morning are eyes wondering what I’m going to do to make them happy that day. Rarely reciprocated."

"On one of my marriages, the background noise of life was a (Real) Housewives of Beverly Hills or another thing called Love Island. Not even being in the room -- I’m not saying this to be cute -- I was dying. I felt my heart, my brain shrinking," he said, adding "It was an assault."

Penn has said that the "friends in the female department," who are "beautiful, wonderful people, wonderful with their partners or wonderful on their own," have shown him that "relationships don’t have to be dramatic or draining."