While 73-year-old Richard Gere is enjoying his days as a dad of his young kids, playing with his sons, and relaxing with his beloved wife, almost half his age, fans are not ready to accept his happiness. In their opinion, the actor is too old for such a role.
Hollywood’s leading man, Richard Gere, became a first-time father at age 50. The actor and his second wife, actress Carey Lowell, welcomed their son, Homer, on February 6, 2000. Homer was named after his grandfather. His parents were married from 2002 until 2016, following 14 years of marriage.
Gere married for the third time after meeting Spanish publicist Alejandra Silva, whom he wed in 2018. The couple welcomed their son, Alexander, in 2019. Gere is also a stepfather to his wife’s son, Albert, from her previous marriage.
The movie star dotes on his offspring. In 2019, Gere gushed about his then-newborn child Alexander, saying, “He’s everything better than me. I love him.”
In February 2012, he was spotted walking with his eldest son Homer, then 12, on his shoulders in Paris. Lowell accompanied the father-and-son-duo, and they were pictured enjoying the sights.
Gere showed he was still in good shape by carrying his child onto a modern art sculpture during their outing in France. The family of three went to the Eiffel Tower and also visited the grounds of Palais Royal at the time.
In terms of his childhood, Gere grew up in Syracuse, New York, and has four siblings. His dad was an insurance salesman, and his mom was a housewife.
They were Methodists with a musical background but other than that, the Geres were merely ordinary, and their now-famous son reportedly had an uneventful upbringing.
However, the same cannot be said about Gere’s love life. The “American Gigolo” star was first married to a supermodel, Cindy Crawford, from 1991 to 1995.
The actress later blamed his reluctance to have children as a reason for the end of their marriage. At the time, Gere admitted that he was not entirely interested in becoming a parent because he considered himself a big kid.
But in a 2002 interview, he changed his tune, stated he always wanted to be a dad, and explained that his previous remark about having kids was “a cliche we all use.”
Regardless of his reservations, the Pennsylvania native ultimately became a dad. After the birth of his first child, he revealed he “was supposed to be in the delivery room, but it was a C-section; and that was intense.”
Gere also disclosed his son’s name and shared he named him after his dad. He divulged that his mother was mainly over the moon for him because she had always wanted him to become a parent.
The film star said he had spent much time with his then-newborn Homer within the first few months of his arrival and was with him daily, adding:
“That’s a great luxury. My father didn’t have that because he was working two jobs.”
Gere even hinted that he and Lowell would consider having more children together. This despite remarking that he would “rather be able to think of all creatures as my children” while married to Crawford.
Yet when he became a dad for the first time ten years after their divorce, the “Pretty Woman” star further delved into the subject, clearing the air about his thoughts on having kids:
“It was quite simple. I never had an issue about children one way or the other. With Carey, she had a child from a previous marriage, and it was just a natural thing, caring for this child, having our own child.”
Besides being a loving father to date, Gere is also known for his humanitarian efforts. In 2019, he was honored at the City Harvest Festival Gala and credited his beloved dad for teaching him how to give back.
Gere said his parent’s “mind is better than mine,” during his acceptance speech and explained his dad has always been there for people going through hardships:
“If he didn’t have money, it was a smile or an embrace or whatever he had to help out.”
Gere’s Current Marriage — His Wife Is 33 Years Younger
While Gere continues to make his father proud, he is now in a happy marriage after his second union with Lowell ended in divorce. The former couple was married for 12 years before parting ways.
Their divorce case took four years of back and forth over money. However, the two parties agreed on joint custody of their then-teenage son Homer.
Lowell filed for divorce in 2012, citing Gere as private and quiet while she still enjoyed partying, according to insiders at the time.
They were both absent as Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper signed off on their settlement, of which details were undisclosed.
Gere later met his current wife, Silva, in 2014, and she revealed how he courted her. The mother of two divulged the “Runaway Bride” star wooed her by sending her flowers consistently until she caved and agreed to date him.
It seems Gere has not stopped being a hopeless romantic ever since, as his spouse shared that after settling down as a married couple, he still writes her songs regularly. Silva said:
“I feel like I’m in a true fairy tale without a doubt, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world.”
The lovebirds crossed paths in Positano when Gere stayed at his future wife’s family-owned hotel. In a 2019 interview, Silva recalled how a mutual friend introduced them and that the first time their eyes locked, they felt instant chemistry between them. She added they could not “stop looking at each other” the entire evening and have been together since.
The pair met at a time of inconvenience in their lives as they were both going through a divorce. When reflecting on that period, Silva said their circumstances brought them together, and they eventually conquered the hurdles together and became close.
However, the political activist admitted to having doubts initially but that Gere was more confident that the version of events aligned so they could be together.
Gere is a romantic, as his spouse dished how he proposed to her while seemingly keeping the rest of the details low-key. Silva said it was an intimate moment for them and that Gere “asked me to marry him in the most romantic hotel I’ve been to, St. Paul de Vence [in the South of France] on my birthday. I get emotional just remembering it.”
The duo tied the knot in 2018 on Gere’s ranch outside New York City and transformed the property into an Indian-inspired fairytale with tents imported from Jaipur and flowers with Tibetan flags. The bride and groom made a grand entrance in a tuk-tuk.
When speaking on the preparations for their big day, Silva said she and her spouse kept in mind “the little things, the small details, the joining of our families.” Before the nuptials, their loved ones spent time together a week prior so they could get to know one another. Overall, they had thirty-nine family members under one roof.
After getting hitched, her husband raved about her, stating he was “the happiest man in the universe.” He further noted all the reasons why he was on cloud nine being married to her:
“I’m married to a beautiful woman who is smart, sensitive, committed to helping people, who’s fun, patient, who knows how to forgive, who’s a great cook – and who makes the best salads in the world!”
The feeling is mutual for his beloved wife, who said she could never have imagined a partner so “perfect” for her and lacks words to describe how happy she is with him.
Silva and Gere have a 33-year age difference, and she got candid about it once, saying, “In this life, it had to be like this. He has promised me at least 20 good years!”
The mother of two added that her spouse is “much more active” than she is and has more “energy,” making it difficult for her to “keep up with him.” When asked what made Gere crazy about her, she said:
“He knows I love him madly. I think I bring him stability.”
Silva said that what brought her and Gere together was their passion for helping others and their devotion “to Buddhism and the Tibetan people.”
When referring to their marriage, she said she has willingly chosen to stay married to Gere because he could fully notice her unwavering dedication “as a humanitarian, as a person, as a woman…It’s the sweetest, most romantic dream I’ve ever had.”
The coupled has settled into a fun-filled life together. In 2021, they were spotted at a local ice-skating rink in NY, and an onlooker revealed the pair “held each other and kept each other warm on the sidelines as they watched their son learn to skate.”
Silva first announced her pregnancy in 2018 with the help of Dalai Lama, revealing she had to get “blessings” from the spiritual leader before making an official announcement.
In December of that year, she posted a selfie as she looked in the mirror with her visibly growing baby bump, wearing a black dress. She captioned her post, “I am so happy! I am so happy! #happygirl.”
Silva was equally happy when she welcomed their second child and when marking the couple’s second wedding anniversary on social media.
She shared a throwback photo from the duo’s wedding day locking lips, including two others showing the newlyweds smiling during their photoshoot for the nuptials.
“Today is the day I married the most wonderful man I have ever met. […] I am so proud to be with you, to share this life with you, to be the mother of our children, to be your friend, to be your wife!” Silva penned in her post.
When she and Gere celebrated their first anniversary, the actor revealed they “live in the woods” and that part of how they would be celebrating their special day was to go on a walk.
In February 2023, Gere reflected on marrying three times, stating there are “always two things going on at the same time in any relationship” when each party is still figuring out who they are as individuals.
The “Shall We Dance?” star said there is always room for introspection in relationships because people change over time and should be on par with their significant others.
Hence, he stated both parties should continually assess whether their evolvement accommodates their relationships because people often grow apart in their commitment, and they should split when they do.
Fans Mock Gere for Being a Dad in Old Age
As a father, Gere has received backlash from social media trolls for welcoming a child again in his late sixties. When his wife shared a post showing her pregnant belly, Instagram users flooded the comments section to express their disapproval.
One person said, “Great. Daddy and baby can be in diapers at the same time!” Another referenced his age and stated by the time his child reached 20; he would be at a nursing home.
A third individual also came for Gere and Silva’s union, saying, “creepy to be married with a grandpa, disgusting.”
Despite the online critics, Gere and Silva seem unbothered by them. In November 2022, Silva happily posted a photo of the couple and their son Alexander playing.
The doting parents took a picture of the youngster facing away from the camera as their shadows appeared in the background.
A month later, the doting mom shared another photo of the family, including her son Albert, facing away from the camera while standing by the water. “Merry Christmas from our family to yours. Love all,” she wrote.
For Halloween that year, the blonde beauty shared a picture with her sons on a pumpkin field and said it was “a perfect fall day” for them. Silva also showed their family life by posting photos of the kids feeding goats.
She showed off their home in July 2018 when she posed alongside her husband as they enjoyed a Sunday lunch at their large wooden dining table with brown chairs. The spacious room featured a chandelier above the dining table.
Aside from kids from previous marriages, the pair share two children. They secretly welcomed their second son at their ranch in New York in April 2020.
They decided to have their child at their marital home, where they exchanged wedding vows so that they could enjoy their privacy. Gere once said:
“Your family is more important than anything.”
The blended family leads a quiet life away from the limelight in Pound Ridge, New York, though Gere’s wife has continued to share minimum glimpses of the couple’s brood online.
Gere considers himself a “lucky” man. He admitted he is not bothered being an older dad. When asked if he was concerned about it in 2015, he said, “Not at all. No.”