Richard Gere Says He and Wife Alejandra Are ‘Happier Than Ever’ After Quitting U.S. To Move to Spain

Hollywood legend Richard Gere has opened up about his new life in Europe—weeks after he and his wife, Alejandra Silva, sold off their sprawling $10.75 million Connecticut mansion and upped sticks to relocate to Spain with their kids.

The 75-year-old actor’s wife has since shared a few glimpses into their Spanish adventure on social media, with the pair now opening up in detail about how their lives have changed since their big move to Madrid.

In an interview with Elle España, Gere said he and Alejandra are “happier than ever,” noting that his wife is overjoyed to have returned to her home country, where she is surrounded by many of her family members.

“The truth is that you are seeing us in our momentum. We are happier than ever,” he said. “[Alejandra is happy] because she is at home and I [am happy] because, if she is happy, I am happy.”

When Gere and Silva met in 2014, she was still living in Spain and the couple spent several years in a long-distance relationship before tying the knot in 2018.

Since then, they have welcomed two children together, sons Alexander, 5, and James, 4, who both moved to Spain with them, along with Silva’s son, Albert, 11, who she shares with ex-husband Govind Friedland.

Gere’s son, Homer, 24, who he shares with his ex-wife, Carey Lowell, has remained in the U.S., where he is pursuing his own career as an actor, basing himself out of New York City.

“Pretty Woman” star Gere first opened up about his plans to relocate his family in April 2024, when he told Vanity Fair Spain that he wanted to make the move in order to allow his wife to spend more time with her relatives.

“It is a beautiful place, the food is extraordinary and the people exude sensitivity and generosity, as well as a strong will to laugh and enjoy,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going there.

“For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends and her culture. She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so it is only fair that I give her at least another six living in hers.

“I love Spain and the ability of the Spanish people to live transmitting joy and happiness.”

In anticipation of their move, Gere and Silva sold their primary U.S. residence in November—a beautiful New Canaan, CT, mansion the actor purchased from music legend Paul Simon in 2022.

Initially, the “Runaway Bride” actor had shared plans to turn a large portion of the home’s expansive grounds into a farm, according to details shared during a local planning and zoning commission meeting in 2023.

However, those plans quickly took a back seat, with the couple instead opting to relocate altogether.

Gere sold off his six-bedroom, 11-bathroom residence for $10.75 million in an off-market deal, with The New Canaan Advertiser reporting that it was purchased by an LLC that is registered to James Hoffman, founder of the real estate development company SBP Homes.

Although Gere did not officially list the home, its original description hailed the property as an “incomparable retreat” and a “personal oasis” with “spectacular grounds.”

The main house on the 31-acre property was originally built in 1938 by architect Harold R. Sleeper. It features five bedrooms, as well as grand formal rooms, “soaring ceilings,” and beautiful natural light.

On the home’s grounds, there are landscaped gardens, acres of lush natural scenery, and a swimming pool with an area for sunbathing and relaxing.

There is also a separate, 1,500-square-foot guesthouse on the property that offers a “quintessential escape to be as creative and self-indulgent or as engaging and social as you wish,” the listing notes.

Gere bought the property from Simon via an LLC—scoring the home for a sizable discount. The property had first been listed by the singer-songwriter, who lived there with his spouse for 17 years, for a whopping $13.9 million; however, Gere paid just $10.8 million, records reveal.

Unfortunately for the actor, he took a loss on the home when he made the decision to sell it himself, settling for a price that is $50,000 less than what he paid two years ago.

According to his interview with Vanity Fair, the actor plans to keep at least one home in the U.S.—a property that he described as being located “in the countryside near New York,” although he did not specify where.

Still, it appears that, for now at least, the actor plans to spend a majority of his time in Spain, where he and his wife are focusing their energies on several charitable endeavors, including the Sierra a Mar project in Mexico.

According to Silva, this shared passion for activism is what brought the two of them together in the first place, with the mother of three telling Elle: “One of the things that unites us most and what made us fall deeply in love was our activist heart.

“Being an activist leads you to infuse your values ​​into the world to improve it. It’s about giving a voice to people who don’t have one and raising awareness. It has a very deep meaning and we must assess where to put our energy, but, no matter how little, we can always contribute.”