Actor Richard Gere and his wife, Alejandra Gere, have shed some light on the family’s trans-Atlantic lifestyle, revealing the gratitude they feel at being able to split their time between “two countries, two cultures,” two years after they announced that they were relocating to her native Spain
Gere, 76, revealed in April 2024 that he and his 43-year-old spouse were planning to take up residence in Spain, explaining at the time that he wanted Alejandra and their two children to have the opportunity to spend time with her family in the European country
However, the duo later revealed that—despite selling their family abode in Connecticut—they would actually be splitting their time between Spain and the U.S., with Alejandra explaining in December 2025 that the move was never meant to be permanent, noting that they planned to spend a good chunk of the summer in America
Sticking to that plan, the family appears to have returned to the U.S. for the Fourth of July holiday, when Gere and Alejandra posted a series of Instagram photos and videos of themselves and their two children enjoying fireworks displays, a day at the beach, and a trip to the Statue of Liberty
In the caption, the actor and activist detailed their happiness at being able to share two different worlds with their kids, writing: “Deeply grateful for a life built between two countries, two cultures, and so many people we love
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“Today, we celebrate connection, family, friendship, and everything that reminds us that home is not only a place, but the people we carry in our hearts
“Happy Fourth of July to our family and friends across the United States.”
The first image in the post captured Gere, Alejandra, and their two sons—Alexander, 7, and James, 6—sitting at the back of a boat while sailing past the Statue of Liberty, the two young boys seen sporting life jackets, while their faces were blurred out in the photo
In the second, Alexander and James could be seen perched on a rocky beach at sunset with a picnic blanket and cooler sitting next to them, while the words “Happy 4th of July” are written across the bottom
The rest of the photos and videos included in the post were taken at a fireworks display, where Gere and Alejandra’s sons could be seen reaching up to try to catch the fireworks as they exploded above their heads
Gere has made several trips back to the East Coast since moving, revealing in December that he, his wife, and their children were spending the festive season in the U.S., where his eldest child, Homer—whom he shares with his second wife, Corey Lowell—is still based
It’s unclear how long Gere and his family plan to be in the U.S. on this occasion. However, they are likely spending their time staying at their abode in upstate New York, which the “Pretty Woman” star revealed they would be holding onto even after their move
Soon after he announced his family’s relocation to Spain, where they live in a “chalet in the exclusive Madrid neighborhood of La Moraleja,” the actor sold another stateside abode in a very controversial deal that ended with the historic Connecticut property being torn down
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Gere originally bought the six-bedroom, 11-bathroom New Canaan, CT, home from singer Paul Simon and his wife, Edie Brickell, for $10.75 million in summer 2022 and had originally planned to turn a large portion of its expansive grounds into a farm, according to details shared during a local planning and zoning commission meeting in 2023
However, in November 2024, the actor quietly offloaded the property for the same amount he’d paid—selling it in an off-market deal to developer SBP Homes, who promptly razed the stunning residence to make way for a nine-plot subdivision
Among those leading the outcry was Simon’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
“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
Gere has never publicly addressed the backlash; however, he has opened up at length about his love of his new life in Spain, revealing to People magazine in November 2025 what he enjoys most about living there
“My wife is so happy in Spain, so that’s the best part of that,” he said at the DOC NYC Visionaries Tribute Luncheon in New York City. “She has wonderful family, wonderful friends
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“Spanish culture, there’s a very open joy about it,” he said. The people are “very warm and very open and a lot less stressed than what you find here in the U.S
“It’s a very happy place. Like the Italians. I mean, being in Italy, being in Spain, you’re dealing with Latin cultures that just understand life in a different way than we do here.”
Still, Gere admitted that there are some things that he misses about his time in the U.S., particularly in New York City, which he praised for its “addictive … energy.”
However, the actor has also opened up about elements of life in his home nation that he doesn’t miss—namely President Donald Trump’s administration
In a 2025 interview with Spanish outlet El País, Gere reflected on the changing political landscape in his home country, taking aim at Trump and accusing him of creating a “violent, crude, and ignorant” world
“If each of us were kind to each other, the world would be different and better. Not all of us respond to wisdom, but we all respond to kindness,” Gere told the publication. “Even in the case of Trump, I’m sure there is something kind about him. People say he’s charming in private
“Yet the world he’s created around himself is violent, crude, and ignorant. Many of the things he’s doing we’ve never seen before.”
When asked whether he believes that Trump’s second term in office could “irreversibly change the values of U.S. society,” the actor admitted that he “worries” about it—claiming that the president is “cut off from” society’s natural sense of empathy
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Charlie Lankston is the executive editor at Realtor.com. She previously worked at DailyMail.com as the associate editor covering news, celebrities, travel, lifestyle, and the British royals. In 2019, she was part of the DailyMailTV team that won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment News Program. Charlie earned a B.A. in English literature and theatre studies from the University of Warwick and an M.A. in newspaper journalism from City University in London. Originally from London, she has been based in New York City for 12 years.
