A year ago, Hollywood actor Richard Gere and his wife, Spanish activist Alejandra Silva, made a bold decision to completely change their surroundings, moving from the United States to Madrid. This move was accompanied by the sale of their magnificent Connecticut estate, which was auctioned off for an impressive $10.75 million. However, their recent return to the US was overshadowed by an unpleasant discovery: the path to their former home is now closed to them forever, as there is nothing left of it—not even a single stone.
The story of this estate is quite remarkable. Built in 1938, the mansion boasted six bedrooms and eleven bathrooms, surrounded by lush gardens with a swimming pool, and for twenty years, it served as the family home of legendary musician Paul Simon and his wife Edie Brickell. It was their daughter, Lulu Simon, who became at the center of the scandal. According to her, when Richard Gere bought the house, he promised to preserve it in its original state, showing respect for the building’s history. However, it turned out that the actor later sold the property to a developer who had completely different plans.
The new owner wasted no time dividing the vast property into nine separate plots and ordered the demolition of the historic building to make way for modern cottages. Lulu Simon reacted instantly and with strong emotion. In public statements, she expressed deep disappointment and resentment toward Gere for breaking his promise. Things escalated to the point where, in her anger, she resorted to esoteric threats, wishing that the spirits of their family’s deceased pets would haunt the actor. Fortunately, before the bulldozers began their work, the mansion’s most valuable architectural elements were removed and preserved, and will now become part of another story.
Now that all that remains of the former splendor are memories, and Lulu Simon is fully focused on her music career, Richard Gere and Alejandra Silva have once again settled in the United States. The actor is actively promoting a documentary about the Dalai Lama, and together with his wife, they are continuing to develop their charitable foundation. Although the States are their primary base once more, the couple has no plans to cut ties with Spain and intends to visit the country regularly, which had been their second home for a full year.
