Richard Gere Doubles Down on Fierce Criticism of Donald Trump as He Opens Up About Life in Spain—7 Months After Quitting U.S.

Yahoo

2 days ago

Hollywood A-lister Richard Gere has once again hit out at President Donald Trump's political agenda—claiming that he has created a 'violent, crude, and ignorant' world—while opening up about his own decision to quit life in the U.S. in favor of relocating to Spain.
Gere, 75, moved to the European country with his wife, Alejandra Silva, 42, and three of their four shared children in November, after offloading their stunning Connecticut mansion in an off-market deal.
The actor—who is best known for his roles in 'Pretty Woman' and ' An Officer and a Gentleman'—first announced their plans in an April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair Spain, explaining that he wanted his wife to have the chance to return to her home country, so she could spend more time with her family and loved ones.
However, in the months since their move was made official, Gere has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump and the policies that he is implementing in the U.S., criticism that he has now doubled down on in a new interview with local Spanish outlet, El Pais.
'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.
Gere's latest comments echo those he made at the annual Goya Awards ceremony in February, when he slammed Trump as a 'bully and a thug' while accepting the International Goya Award in recognition of his ongoing humanitarian work.
'We're all part of a universe of overlapping pain and sadness and joy. … I see this world that we're in now forgetting that,' he said at the time. 'This very foolish tribalism is starting to take us over, where we think that we're all separate from each other.
'And we have unfortunately elected officials that don't inspire us in the way that we want to be inspired. I'm coming from a place now … we're in a very dark place in America where we have a bully and a thug who is the president of the United States.
'But it's not just in the U.S., it's everywhere.'
Still, Gere admits that there are plenty of things he misses about his life in the U.S.—specifically, the people he left behind, including his adult son, Homer, telling El Pais that he wants to ensure he maintains a close connection to his heritage in his home country, even if he's living overseas.
'I miss my family and friends. I was just in New York visiting my friends and my oldest son,' he shared. 'We went to Pennsylvania, to the small town where my father and mother came from, and we visited their grave. I need to somehow feel connected to my history, to my best friends, to stay in contact with all of it.'
But the actor noted that watching his wife 'blossoming' in Spain has been reward enough for making the move—explaining that he wanted to return the favor she did for him in upping sticks and joining him in the U.S. when they began their romance.
'Alejandra gave me six or seven years in the U.S.; she dropped everything to be with me and create a life together,' he said. 'But I could see it was important for her to come back, that she really missed her family and friends. She's blossoming here.'
Although Gere noted that he has never lived permanently abroad, he said that he has created a sense of belonging in his new Madrid dwelling by ensuring that he has access to the creature comforts he needs most—specifically his 'office, piano, guitars, and books.'
'In a way, I've taken my world and put it here,' he said.
While the family has quickly laid down roots in what El Pais described as a 'chalet in the exclusive Madrid neighborhood of La Moraleja,' Gere's wife noted that they are not set on spending the rest of their days in the city.
She told the publication that they plan to 'stay … for a few years,' describing Madrid as a 'city that has … a very special energy.'
However, she has previously revealed that the family had always planned to 'come back' to the U.S., telling the Daily Mail that they were already spending their time going 'back and forth' between the two countries in order to visit their loved ones regularly.
'For a few years [we'll live in Spain], and then come back. But we're always coming back. We'll come back here in the summer because we have the kids at camp. We just have to balance our lives there and here,' she said.
Luckily, the family has retained a home base in the U.S., despite selling their permanent residence in New Canaan, CT. That home is now set to be torn down in order to make room for a nine-plot subdivision.
In his April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, Gere revealed that he planned to keep a property 'in the countryside in New York,' although he hesitated to share specific details about its location.
'I Appealed My Property Taxes and Got $4,500 Knocked Off My Bill'
Home Price Growth Slows to Weakest Pace in 2 Years as Buyer Demand Remains Soft
Fresh Out of College? These Are the 10 Best Cities Where Graduates Can Actually Afford To Rent