Sean Penn and his fiance Charlize Theron have ended their engagement after a year and a half together. Theron, aged 39, and Penn, aged 54, had known each other for decades before their friendship blossomed into a love affair so passionate that Penn was willing to tie the knot again despite his previous failed marriages with Madonna and Robin Wright.

The pair reportedly split after their last public outing at the Cannes Film Festival in May.