All alarms have gone off around Richard Gere and his wife, Alejandra Silva, all due to the unexpected problem that has arisen in their lives. "They are very interested in that whole world," the family's lawyer said some time ago.
In 2022, this high-profile couple bought an estate of more than 31.9 acres (129,000 m²) in New Canaan, Connecticut, for about 10 million euros. However, this property was not just another residence, as it had been the home of the famous singer Paul Simon and his family for more than two decades.
This property held great sentimental value for the Simons, which is why Richard Gere and Alejandra Silva committed to respecting and caring for this historic estate. However, what began as a promise has ended in a betrayal that has provoked a reaction from Lulu Simon.
Just two years after acquiring it, the actor and his wife broke their agreement by selling the property to a real estate developer. As expected, this transaction has caused quite a stir.
All the details about the latest and notorious problem of Richard Gere and Alejandra Silva
This colonial-style home, built in 1938, was purchased by Paul Simon in 2002 for about 15.3 million euros. He lived there for two decades with his wife, Edie Brickell, and their three children, turning the estate into a place of shared memories.
As several American media outlets have pointed out, Richard Gere committed, upon acquiring the estate, to keep its historical value. He even promised the Simon family that he wouldn't hand the property over to any developer.
For this reason, in the eyes of the Simon family, especially Lulu, Alejandra Silva and the actor have gone from being defenders of the rural environment to promoting the real estate business. This sale has meant for them the loss of a symbol they believed was protected.
However, despite the criticism, Richard Gere's lawyer explained in a meeting with local urban planning authorities that the idea was to create a private farm. In addition, Alejandra Silva and her husband's goal was to offer their children an education close to rural life:
"Both grew up on farms, they are very interested in that whole world and in teaching their children everything related to it," said David Rucci in 2023.
Those statements reinforced Richard Gere's image as a protector of the environment. But that reputation collapsed after it became known that the actor had sold the estate to the developer SBP Homes for 9.9 million euros.
This company intends to demolish the existing house to divide the land into nine individual lots for subsequent sale. This way, each lot will have between 2.2 and 4.8 acres (8,900 and 19,400 m²) and will be marketed empty so that buyers can build from scratch.
As expected, reactions were not long in coming, especially from Lulu Simon, who posted a message on her social media expressing her anger and disappointment with the actor:
"Richard Gere bought my childhood home, promised he would care for the land as a condition of his purchase... then proceeded to never move in, only to sell it to a developer as nine separate lots."
Lulu accompanied these words with a picture of the actor surrounded by his pets. "I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt and torment you, until you fall into a slow and relentless madness," she added.
Richard Gere's decision not to live in the house seems to be related to his recent move to Spain with Alejandra Silva. The actor stated that it was a decision made as a family. Even so, he confirmed that they will keep a residence "in the countryside, near New York."