Hollywood legend Richard Gere has celebrated his first birthday since he and his wife, Alejandra, left their U.S. abode to relocate to Spain—and, according to his spouse, that move has come with its fair share of “challenges.”
Alejandra, 42, shared an intimate glimpse inside their life while celebrating her husband’s 76th birthday with a touching Instagram tribute in which she described the “Pretty Woman” star as their family’s “rock,” while also conceding that the last 12 months have been filled with plenty of ups and downs.
“This year has brought changes and challenges, but through it all you’ve been the constant our rock,” she wrote alongside an image of the happy couple posing together on a beach.
The philanthropist, who wed Gere in 2018 and has since welcomed two sons with him, went on to thank the on-screen star for his dedication to their family.
“The boys and I feel your love in every moment: the way you show up for us, the patience you bring, the strength you give, and the heart you pour into this family,” she continued.
Richard Gere has celebrated his first birthday in his new home country of Spain, nine months after he moved there with his wife, Alejandra, and their children.
Alejandra shared a photo of her husband wearing a crown as he celebrated his birthday in the backyard of their home.
“You are everything to us the best husband and the best dad always giving, always helping. Even in the busiest days, you are the center of our little universe, and we are so grateful for you.”
She followed up her post by sharing an image of Gere marking his special day with his two youngest sons in the backyard of their home—with the actor sporting a large crown atop his head.
“Happy birthday,” she wrote, before adding: “King for a day” across the bottom of the post.
While the actor appears to have had a very relaxed and happy birthday, the milestone occasion came in the wake of a difficult few months for Gere, who has faced furious criticism over his decision to sell a historic mansion in Connecticut to a developer who has since demolished the storied property.
The “Runaway Bride” star sold the property for $10.75 million to SBP Homes in an off-market deal in November, months after he first revealed his plans to relocate his family so Spain so that his wife could be closer to her family and friends.
But his sale of the New Canaan home, which he purchased from singer Paul Simon in 2022, soon sparked uproar when it was revealed that the property would be torn down to make way for a nine-plot subdivision.
Among those leading the outcry was Paul’s daughter, Lulu, who publicly bashed Gere in a series of posts shared on her Instagram Stories in July, accusing him of failing to fulfill his promise to “take care” of her childhood home.
His birthday comes as it was revealed that his former home in Connecticut has been demolished.
Gere sold the property to a developer for $10.75 million.
It has since been torn down to make way for a nine-plot subdivision.
“Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere—I do!” she wrote alongside a picture of herself flashing a peace sign at the camera.
“He bought my childhood home,” she went on. “Promised he would take care of the land as [a] condition of his purchase. Proceeded to never actually move in and just sold it to a developer as nine separate plots.
“Hate! Him!” she concluded the post, which also featured a news story about Gere’s real estate deal.
Lulu then continued her tirade with a rather eerie warning for Gere, sharing an image of the actor surrounded by photos of her late pets, while writing: “I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt you until you descend into a slow and unrelenting madness.”
Both posts were deleted around 18 hours after being shared.
At the time, the demolition of the six-bedroom mansion in which Lulu spent her childhood was already well underway, after local salvage company Hudson Valley House Parts of Newburgh, NY, was called in to save the most significant parts of the 1938 dwelling back in May.
At the time, the company’s founder, Reggie Young, told Realtor.com® that he felt it was “a real shame” the house was being razed, noting: “Once the stuff is gone, it’s never coming back.”
Paul Simon’s daughter, Lulu, who was raised in the home, slammed Gere for selling it to a developer.
Gere announced in early 2024 that he and his wife were moving to Spain.
Still, Young and his team managed to salvage several of the most stunning features in the home, including two steel nautical-motif, midcentury bay windows; a limestone mantel and a marble mantel; Colonial window sashes; a complete cerused oak library with a bowed fireplace and wall paneling with built-ins; exterior stone steps with an iron railing and a portico; and the entire entryway with the arched jamb, door surround, and paneled walls.
The company shared images and video of that process online—with several users lamenting the destruction of the estate.
“This is like watching a horror movie,” one person wrote. “So sad this is being dismantled but grateful you’re saving it for a new use.”
Young later confirmed that the teardown of the property had been completed as of Sept. 2, with an aerial image revealing that the plot on which the home once stood is now just bare land.
Gere and his wife have yet to comment on the controversy surrounding the demolition of the home—or Lulu’s claims that they never fully moved onto the property.
However, the actor did note when he announced his plans to relocate to Spain that the family would retain a residence in the U.S., telling Vanity Fair Spain that he still owned a dwelling “in the countryside near New York,” although he did not specify where.
His wife later revealed that, despite their move to Europe, the family was still planning to spend plenty of time in her husband’s home country, explaining that their relocation was only ever meant to be temporary.
“For a few years [we’ll live in Spain], and then come back. But we’re always coming back. We’ll come back here in the summer because we have the kids at camp. We just have to balance our lives there and here,” she told the Daily Mail.
