Richard Gere sold his Connecticut property for $10.75 million after declaring plans to move to Spain.
According to the New Canaan Advertiser, PEOPLE’s 1999 Sexiest Man Alive, 75, purchased his home in New Canaan for $10.8 million in 2022, $50,000 more than he sold it for, from Paul Simon and Edie Brickell.
According to the publication, the singer-songwriter pair sold their album at a significant loss, having spent $16.5 million on it 17 years ago.
Gere resided in the house with his wife, Alejandra Silva, for two years and apparently planned to transform it into a farm at one time. The 1938 home features six bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a swimming pool, many gardens, and a three-bedroom guest cottage. According to a previous Sotheby’s listing, the property is 32 acres in size and includes “period details” throughout.
However, the actor recently spoke up about his desire to go abroad.
Gere and Silva have resided in the United States since their marriage in 2018, but in an April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair Spain, he stated that he intended to spend more time in his wife’s native Spain and be closer to her relatives.
“For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends, and her culture,” said Silva, 41, whom he praised. “She was very generous in giving me six years to live in my world, so it is only fair that I give her at least another six years to live in hers.”
Madrid will be a “great adventure,” Gere added, for himself, Silva, and their two children, Alexander, 5, and James, 4. Gere also has a 24-year-old son, Homer, with his second wife, Carey Lowell. Silva also has an 11-year-old kid named Albert with her ex-husband, Govind Friedland.
“I love Spain and the ability of the Spanish people to live, transmitting joy and happiness,” Gere told CNN.
Gere also stated during his VF interview that he owns a residence “in the countryside near New York,” implying that he would continue to have a presence in the United States.
According to the site, the couple first met in Positano, Italy, at the celebrity-favored Hotel Treville in 2014.
A source close to the pair told PEOPLE at the time of their wedding in 2018 that the two were “extraordinarily happy,” adding, “They’re so comfortable with each other, have fun together, and are looking forward to their future together.”
Silva made a lovely Instagram post in August 2024 to commemorate Gere’s 75th birthday.
“After 11 amazing years together, it still feels like the day we first met,” she said. “The trip we’ve taken together, the lovely family we’ve established, and the memories we’ve made are beyond anything I could have imagined. Your presence enhances my life in every way, and I’m grateful.