Not long ago, Richard Gere, at the age of 70, embraced fatherhood once again. In February of the previous year, Richard and his 35-year-old wife, Alejandra Silva, joyfully welcomed a baby boy into their lives. While this child marks the first offspring for Gere and Silva as a couple, both have children from previous relationships.
For Gere, his 20-year-old son named Homer James Jigme, whom he shares custody of with his ex-wife, Carey Lowell, has been a significant part of his life.
Let’s delve into the past for a moment – Richard Gere’s heartthrob status in Hollywood was solidified through memorable roles in films like “American Gigolo” and iconic classics such as “Pretty Woman” and “An Officer and a Gentleman.”
It was during this illustrious period that Richard encountered his first wife, model and actress Cindy Crawford. Their fateful meeting, reportedly at a casual barbecue, blossomed into a romance that made them one of Hollywood’s most sought-after couples, pursued relentlessly by paparazzi.
The couple graced red carpets, adorned magazine covers, and dined at the most esteemed restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. Marriage became a topic of contemplation for them, leading them to Las Vegas in December 1991, where they exchanged vows in an unassuming ceremony with only a few witnesses present.
Nevertheless, four years later, the union ended, primarily due to the significant age difference between them. Cindy Crawford was only 22 when they first met, while Richard Gere was 39.
Reflecting on her younger self, Crawford explained, “I think at 22, I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll follow,’ and then it’s like, ‘Well, I don’t want to just follow—I want to occasionally lead and sometimes walk side by side.'”
Seven years following the dissolution of his marriage to Crawford, Gere found love again with model and actress Carey Lowell. In February 2000, the couple celebrated the birth of their only child, Homer Gere.
Remarkably, Gere’s perspective on fatherhood shifted between his two marriages. While he had reservations about having children during his time with Crawford, with Carey Lowell, his attitude transformed. He embraced fatherhood wholeheartedly, emphasizing that it felt natural and voluntary to care for Carey’s child from a previous marriage and to have their own child.
Homer was born in New York and received names representing their respective fathers, along with the Tibetan name Jigme, honoring Gere’s commitment to human rights in Tibet.
Gere described the transformative power of fatherhood, acknowledging that it shifts one’s focus from peripheral matters to what truly matters in life, validating the clichés often associated with parenthood.
Unfortunately, Homer found himself thrust into the limelight at a young age, as his parents’ high-profile divorce subjected the family to media scrutiny and speculation. Custody disputes over Homer became contentious, with Carey Lowell pressing her claims, asserting that she had foregone her career for Gere and their son.
Homer James Jigme Gere also has a half-sister named Hannah Dunne, born from his mother Carey Lowell’s prior marriage to actor, producer, and director Thomas Griffin Dunne.
Then, in the previous year, Homer welcomed a half-brother when his father’s wife, Alejandra Silva, gave birth to a baby boy in New York. Unlike his father, Homer tends to maintain a low profile and resides in New York.
Though he prefers discretion, Homer has made occasional public appearances alongside both of his parents during his upbringing, such as accompanying his father to the renowned “Giffoni Film Festival” in Giffoni Valle Piana, Italy, which is the largest children’s film festival in Europe.
