Madonna Performs Song Dedicated to Ex Sean Penn - and He's Watching in the Front Row

As Madonna dominated the stage during her Rebel Heart concert on Thursday, a familiar face from her past drew attention from the front row at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

Sean Penn, 55, was in the audience when the singer, 57, performed 'True Blue,' a song rooted deep in the former couple's history. (The hit was featured on her album of the same name, which was released while they were married in 1986. 'This is dedicated to my husband, the coolest guy in the universe,' the True Blue album notes read.)

Nearly three decades after their tumultuous divorce in 1987, Penn's reaction to her performance was captured in video obtained by TMZ. The short clip shows Penn looking up at the stage as Madonna belts out the tune's sweet lyrics.

In the years since their split, the former pair have been open about their fondness for each other.

'I'm very friendly with my first ex-wife,' Penn said in an interview for Esquire U.K.'s March issue.

Most recently, Madonna showed her love for Penn when she pointed out the proximity of their birthdays - she turned 57 on Aug. 16, one day before his 55th birthday on Aug. 17 - in a throwback Instagram. The image, taken by the late photographer Herb Ritts, shows Penn planting a kiss on her cheek in the 1980s.

From www.people.com