Why Cindy Crawford Once Blamed Her Age Gap With Richard Gere For Their Failed Marriage

They're two of the most beautiful people in the world, so why couldn't Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere make it work? The iconic supermodel, whose name remains synonymous with the fashion industry, has several famous exes but Gere stands out because the two were married, albeit only for a short time. The "Pretty Woman" star met his literal pretty woman in 1988, but by 1995 it was all over. Although Crawford doesn't often discuss their relationship, she acknowledged that competing busy schedules were among the many reasons it didn't work out. "We didn't spend enough time together," the supermodel said (via People)."And we're equally responsible for that. We thought it would be okay if we just flew in from Paris to L.A. to get together for a night to see each other. It wasn't."

Moreover, there was a considerable, 17-year age gap between the two A-listers. During her appearance on "Oprah's Master Class," the iconic model contended that at 22 she didn't really know herself as a person yet and was more willing to just go along for the ride as a result. Crawford noted, "I just think your 20s for women is such a time when you're starting to come into your own and feel your own power and connect to your inner strength, and it's hard to do that — it's hard to change — in a relationship, because what one person might have signed up for, all of a sudden, you're not that anymore," (via InStyle).

Cindy Crawford briefly opened up about her short-lived marriage to Richard Gere in Apple TV+'s 2023 docuseries "The Super Models," which she also executive produced. As the supermodel contended, she did her best to find common ground with the rom-com icon despite their considerable age difference, reasoning that, in the beginning at least, "You're willing to kind of mold yourself around whoever you are in love with." This sadly meant there was less time for Crawford to do the things she liked, meaning that even her fashion career took a backseat for a while. 

The celebrity couple tied the knot in Las Vegas in 1991 but their union lasted just four years. During a 2016 chat on the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast, Crawford shared that another major issue was that they neglected to establish a solid friendship prior to tying the knot. Again, this had to do with the fact that she was 17 years the "Runaway Bride" star's junior so they didn't begin on equal footing. Echoing her earlier point, the supermodel admitted, "As I started kind of growing up and growing into myself — it's hard to change the nature of a relationship once you're already in it."

In contrast, she and her current husband Rande Gerber were laidback about their romantic connection from the very beginning, with Crawford disclosing that both of them kept it real, creating a sense of mutual respect that's lasted to this day.

Evidently, Richard Gere wasn't put off age-gap romances since his current wife, Alejandra Silva, a Spanish publicist, political activist, and the mother of two of the actor's three children, is a whopping 33 years younger than him. After meeting in 2014, the happy couple tied the knot in 2019 and, in May 2024, they announced their plans to relocate to her native Spain. If her substantial age difference with Gere bothers Silva, she's not letting on, proudly informing Hello! magazine in 2018: "Without a doubt, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world." Sweetly, her hubby countered: "I'm the happiest man in the universe."

As for Cindy Crawford, she dated at least one other famous actor besides Gere: Val Kilmer. The supermodel was also rumored to have been romantically involved with Robert De Niro at one point, too, though little is known about their relationship, if it existed. During a 2005 interview with The Guardian, the "Batman Forever" star reminisced about his romance with the supermodel, which occurred following his own divorce in 1996. "Did I date Cindy Crawford?" Kilmer wondered. "Yeah, she's very nice. A smart girl with a great sense of humor. She's a fantastic cook, too, always carried recipes around when she travelled."