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Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford's whirlwind romance and marriage revisted: A relationship timeline
22 September 2023, 14:26
Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford were one of the most glamorous couples of the 1990s, but their marriage was short-lived and ended in divorce.
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What went wrong between the Hollywood star and the supermodel? How did they meet, fall in love, and part ways?
First meeting
Richard Gere was already a famous actor when he met Cindy Crawford in 1988 at a barbecue hosted by photographer Herb Ritts.
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He was 39 years old and had starred in hit movies like American Gigolo, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Pretty Woman.
Cindy Crawford was 22 years old and a rising star in the fashion industry. She had appeared on the cover of Vogue and had done campaigns for Calvin Klein, Pepsi, and Revlon.
The two were attracted to each other despite their age difference and different backgrounds.
Early days
They started dating and moved in together in New York. They kept their relationship private and avoided the paparazzi as much as possible.
They also shared an interest in Buddhism and meditation, and traveled to India and Nepal together.
“[Gere] was older, so I just was, like, in a different circle and not doing some of those same fashiony things anymore,” Crawford said on the Apple TV+ series, The Super Models.
“That was a time in my career where I veered away from the high fashion elite and kind of took more charge of my career.”
Cindy and Richard famously attended the 1991 Oscars together, with Cindy's red Versace gown going down as one of the ceremony's greatest outfits.
Marriage
In December 1991, they eloped in Las Vegas and got married in a simple ceremony at the Little Church of the West.
"Richard [Gere] and I had been dating for several years, and at one point, I was like, 'Are we doing this or what?' And he said, 'Let's go to Vegas tonight,'" Cindy told Yahoo. "It wasn't the wedding I dreamed of. It was so last minute I wore this Armani suit.
"It was a nice Armani suit, but I didn't dream of getting married in a navy blue suit. And the ring was made out of tinfoil because it was so last minute. But I did have Herb Ritts as my bridesmaid — and taking the pictures!"
They exchanged rings that had the Tibetan mantra “Om mani padme hum” engraved on them. They did not have any children together.
Their marriage seemed to be happy and stable, but behind the scenes, they faced many challenges. They had busy and demanding careers that kept them apart for long periods of time.
They also reportedly had different personalities and expectations from each other. Richard Gere was said to be more introverted and reserved, while Cindy Crawford was more outgoing and sociable.
Cindy Crawford later admitted that she changed herself to fit into his world and please him. She said: “You’re willing to kind of mould yourself around whoever you are in love with”.
She also said that she felt like she was not his equal or his friend, but rather his follower. She said: “I think part of the problem in our relationship was that we were a lot of other things, but I don’t know if we were ever friends – like peers, because I was young, and he was Richard Gere”.
Divorce
Their marriage started to crumble in 1994, when they released a joint statement denying rumors that they were gay or bisexual.
The statement said: "We got married because we love each other and we decided to make a life together. We are heterosexual and monogamous and take our commitment to each other very seriously.
"There is not and never has been a prenuptial agreement of any kind. Reports of a divorce are totally false. There are no plans, nor have there ever been any plans for divorce. We remain very married. We both look forward to having a family."
The statement backfired and only fueled more speculation about their sexuality and compatibility.
They separated soon after and filed for divorce in 1995.
They cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split. They did not have a prenuptial agreement, but they settled their divorce amicably and privately. They remained friendly after their divorce, but they did not keep in touch much.
Further marriages
Richard Gere went on to marry actress Carey Lowell in 2002 and had a son with her. They divorced in 2016.
He then married Spanish publicist Alejandra Silva in 2018 and had two more sons with her.
Cindy Crawford married businessman Rande Gerber in 1998 and had two children with him, Presley and Kaia Gerber, who are both models.
Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford’s relationship and marriage was a fairy tale that sadly couldn't last. They were two beautiful and successful people who fell in love, but could not make it work.
They learned from their mistakes and moved on with their lives, but they are still remembered as one of the most iconic couples of the '90s.
