Richard Gere in Hot Water: Lulu Simon's Fury Over Sold Childhood Home
SCANDAL ROCKS HOLLYWOOD: RICHARD GERE'S $10.8 MILLION MISTAKE EXPOSED
In a shocking turn of events, Richard Gere has found himself at the center of a brewing scandal that's got everyone in Tinseltown talking. The 75-year-old Pretty Woman star was spotted arriving at JFK Airport on Thursday, donning a baseball cap and attempting to keep a low profile – but it seems like nothing can escape the spotlight for this Hollywood legend.
Gere's troubles began when he sold off his Connecticut estate, which once belonged to music icon Paul Simon. The property had been in Simon's family for decades before Gere swooped in with an offer of $10.8 million in 2022. But what was supposed to be a quiet sale has turned into a public relations nightmare.
The drama unfolded when Lulu Simon, Paul's daughter and the former owner's granddaughter, took to social media to express her outrage over Gere's decision to sell the property to developers who plan to raze it and build nine new homes. "Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere – I do!" she posted on Instagram, posing with a peace sign.
Lulu's anger is well-founded, considering Gere had promised to preserve the land as a condition of his purchase. But instead, he sold it off in an off-market deal just two years later for $10.75 million – a staggering $350,000 less than what he paid for it. The once-grand Georgian-style mansion where Simon and his wife Edie Brickell lived for decades is now slated for demolition.
But Lulu didn't stop there. In another scathing post, she shared a photo collage of Gere surrounded by images of her deceased pets buried on the property. "I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt you until you descend into a slow and unrelenting madness," she wrote – a searing rebuke aimed directly at Gere.
Both posts were hastily deleted from Lulu's Instagram account within 18 hours, but not before they had gone viral on social media. It seems like Lulu is still reeling from the betrayal and has no intention of letting her family's legacy be destroyed by Gere's questionable business dealings.
Gere's decision to sell the property has also left Paul Simon in a precarious position. The music legend originally paid $16.5 million for the estate back in 2002, but struggled to sell it when he listed it for $13.9 million in 2019. It took three more years of price reductions before Gere came along and snatched it up – only to flip it a few months later.
Sources close to the matter reveal that Gere had initially hoped to convert the sprawling 31.8-acre property into a working farm, but those plans never materialized. Instead, he pocketed a significant profit while leaving Simon and his family in the lurch.
But what's even more surprising is that Gere sold the estate just months after announcing that he and wife Alejandra Silva were relocating to Spain with their children. The Spanish-born publicist shares sons Alexander, 6, and James, 5, with Gere, as well as another son, Albert, 11, from a previous marriage.
Gere's explanation for the move was that his wife wanted to be closer to her family and culture in Madrid. But now it seems like there may have been more to it than meets the eye – particularly given Lulu's explosive accusations against Gere.
The scandal has left many wondering what really went down behind closed doors at this $10.8 million property, which had once been a beloved family home for Simon and his wife. As one insider puts it, "Richard Gere thought he was buying a piece of history, but instead he's bought himself a whole lot of trouble."
