The stunner was romantically linked to Penn after he split from his wife Robin Wright earlier this year (09) - but the relationship was never defined.
During an awkward interview with former model Tyra Banks on her chat show on Wednesday (18Nov09), White squirmed as she was asked about Penn.
Banks probed, "Is Sean Penn your boyfriend?" before joking about the romance.
Coy White tried to change the subject, but finally confessed, "(We) used to (date). Past tense," adding, "He is a very sweet guy."